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Questions and Answers
What is a condition caused by a lack of key nutrients?
Which of the following cancer treatments may affect nutrition?
What is a common cause of malnutrition in people with cancer?
What is a condition marked by weakness, weight loss, and fat and muscle loss?
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Why may some people with cancer not be able to absorb all the nutrients from their food?
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Study Notes
Cancer and Nutrition Problems
- Cancer and its treatments can cause side effects that affect nutrition, particularly when tumors involve the head, neck, esophagus, stomach, intestines, pancreas, or liver.
Cancer Treatments Affecting Nutrition
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone therapy
- Radiation therapy
- Surgery
- Immunotherapy
- Stem cell transplant
Effects of Cancer and Its Treatments on Nutrition
- May cause malnutrition due to a lack of key nutrients
- Can affect taste, smell, appetite, and the ability to eat enough food or absorb nutrients
- Can cause weakness, tiredness, and inability to fight infection or complete cancer treatment
Malnutrition and Its Consequences
- Can decrease quality of life and become life-threatening
- May worsen if the cancer grows or spreads
- Common causes of malnutrition in people with cancer: anorexia and cachexia
Anorexia and Cachexia
Anorexia
- Loss of appetite or desire to eat
- Common symptom and most common cause of malnutrition in people with cancer
- May occur early or late in the disease, or upon diagnosis
Cachexia
- Condition marked by weakness, weight loss, and fat and muscle loss
- Common in people with tumors affecting eating and digestion
- Can occur in people eating well, but not storing fat and muscle due to tumor growth
Effects of Tumors on Nutrient Use
- Tumors in the stomach, intestines, or head and neck can change the body's use of protein, carbohydrates, and fat
- Body may not absorb all nutrients from food, even if eating enough
Combining Anorexia and Cachexia (CAS)
- Can cause weight loss and decreased lean body mass
- Treating high-risk patients to prevent CAS may lead to better outcomes
- Olanzapine, a drug with increased appetite and weight gain side effects, is being studied to treat CAS with mixed success
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Description
Learn about the side effects of cancer treatment on nutrition and how cancer affects digestion. Understand how chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and other treatments impact nutrition.
