Head and neck cancer is actually a life-altering diagnosis that changes both the physical condition of a human being as well as his psychological and mental body. Treatment for such an oncology medical ailment occurs under a progressive system that consists of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and at times even immunotherapy. Among them, nutrition is one vital role often understated in ensuring the body becomes strong enough to withstand treatment, maintain immunity, and eventually heal. This blog is one of the articles that shine a light on the role of nutrition in recovery from head and neck cancer, explaining the connection of cancer treatment and immune system functioning and how a cancer doctor might recommend an integrated approach to healing. It first elucidates what is known as head and neck cancer.
The Anatomical Locations of Head and Neck Cancer
The anatomical locations by which head and neck cancers occur are potentially considered as any structure that is positioned close to the throat, nose, larynx, sinus cavities and inside the oral cavity. Major head and neck cancer types by prevalence are cancers which involve this innermost tissue lining layer forming cells called the squamous cell carcinoma. Two major predisposing factors to the development of head and neck cancers are tobacco, in any form-smoking or smokeless-and chronic alcohol consumption in addition to an exposure to the human papillomavirus virus. Such cancers can also manifest with a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, swelling on one side of the neck or throat.
Although head and neck cancer treatment can be very effective, this is followed with challenges. Often the side effects of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy will include dysphagia/dysphagia post-surgery or post-radiation, nausea, weight loss, and depressed cellular immunity. There is a major role for nutrition in this-to help a patient live with such adversity, strengthen one’s body and speed up the healing process.
How Nutrition Interacts with Healing
There, nutrition goes extremely unreplaceable recovery and its treatment. To go even further, chemotherapy and radiation would interfere with normal rhythmic cycles of the taking of food stuff, digestion of those food-stuff, absorption, and what have you. Therefore, in such a clinical practice, controlling the side effect healing takes an equal ground for diet management to individualized patient care. Let us find out how far nutrition is good at recovery towards the patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer.
- Immunotherapy: This is the new treatment method for head and neck cancer patients. This form of treatment is enhancing the patient’s immune system to fight cancer cells more powerfully. This, however exposes the body more to infections as well as other complications because the immune system will be suppressed.
Balanced diets can only afford a healthy, well-functioning immune system on the body parts. They demand all the available nutrients in vitamins like Vitamin C and Vitamin D, minerals in zinc and selenium, and proteins to function fully as immune cells. An Indian cancer doctor can guide the patient on which food items contain these groups of nutrient so that they can include those food items in their diet, reducing the risk factors caused by immunotherapy and healing faster.
Nutrients provided would be sources of citrus fruits, leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean meats, and legumes. Nutrition could feed the body and possibly be a portal to well-being through immunities. Additional antioxidants in berry fruits and color vegetables will help as an aid to prevent oxidative damage and inflammation as a result of cancer chemotherapy.
- Wound Healing and Tissue Rehabilitation
The wounds or tissue damage from surgery or radiation therapy usually have to heal in patients with head and neck cancer. Protein is essential for healing because it provides tissue repair, collagen synthesis, and immune function.
It is a period when the body will need to consume more proteins so as to repair tissues and regain the lost muscle mass. Deficiency in protein will cause the advancement of malnutrition along with an increase in healing time and will also lead to complications. Therefore, it requires adequate amounts of protein, and this can be either an animal product source such as chicken, fish, eggs, or milk, or even a plant product source such as beans, lentils, or tofu.
As if the doctor will be an oncologist in India dealing with patients of Cancer. he/she will advise not to stop the protein diet during the course of the treatment because the protein diet is specifically required by the patients which have hard time chewing or swallowing the food due to side effects of treatments.
- Management of Side Effects of the Treatment
Treatment of head and neck cancers leads to several side effects which introduce different conditions that will ensure the patient fails to receive the proper nutrition. Some of them include;
- Dysphagia: Trouble Swallowing; Pain or discomfort when swallowing is caused as a complication of radiotherapy and surgery to the head and neck. At this point, pureed foods or liquids such as smoothies or liquid nutrition supplements can be of immense assistance.
- Mucositis: The chemotherapy or radiation might create mouth ulcers that would make eating a challenge. It is best to eat soft food that is tasteless but not too hot or spicy.
- Loss of Appetite: Most cancer patients suffer from nausea or lack of appetite in general. Nutrition can be maintained through frequent, small meals and even the use of stimulating foods, like ginger and mint, for improving appetite.
- Taste Change: The taste in the mouth is metallic or changed. It makes food unpalatable to the patient, and many cannot tolerate eating. Food texture modification, adding spices, or using very flavored food may help improve the taste.
A balanced diet will thus minimize the undesired effects known to be associated with the disease. Such calorie-dense nutrient-rich foods therefore prevent weight loss, and therefore keep patients nutritionally replete whilst struggling to take anything by mouth. In any event, once oral intake is inadequate, then supplementary nutritional components should be provided.
- Fluid Administration
Hydration is probably the most unappreciated aspect of nutrition in cancer therapy. Most patients with the disease suffer from xerostomia, or dry mouth, due to radiation therapy or surgery into this area of the body. Dehydration merely serves to worsen these symptoms, making it increasingly difficult to swallow and speak.
Drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration and in general, improve your health. Hydration enhances body functions, facilitates digestion, and allows the easy transfer of nutrients in the body. Some of the hydrating fluids are water, electrolyte drinks, herbal teas, and broths.
Some hydrating foods with high moisture levels include cucumbers, watermelon, and soups.
- Hydration in Weight Management
Undernutrition and obesity can worsen recovery, hence maintaining a healthy weight during the period of cancer treatment is essential. In head and neck cancer therapy, weight loss associated with reduced intake, loss of appetite, and increased metabolic demands is noticed in the patients.
The intake of nutrient-rich foods and calorie-rich options will prevent unnecessary weight loss. In addition to the above, avocados, olive oil, and nuts have healthy fats, and other protein-rich foods need to be included to provide adequate caloric intake without nutritional compromise. On the other hand, attaining and maintaining a healthy weight will enable the body to stay strong enough to effectively fight the cancer and recover from the treatment sessions.
- Psychological Well-being and Emotional Support
Treatments for cancer are not only physiologically stressing but also psychological and emotional. Patients who get treated for cancer face many anxiety-depression and stress problems. Nutrition contributes toward maintaining good outlooks by keeping blood sugar stable and decreasing the inflammation that may build inside the body and less frequently affect mood or mental clarity.
Omega-3 fatty acids in food like fish (salmon), walnuts, and flaxseeds, among other cognitive-enhancing nutrients, will help reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Depending on the patient’s condition, the Cancer doctor in India, such as Dr. Vikesh Shah, can have a consultation with the patient and introduce such foods into the treatment protocol to make sure the patient is emotionally and psychologically ready for the recovery.
Most promising treatment, however, for head and neck cancer remains immunotherapy especially in advanced stages. These have been proven to boost the human immune system that fights these cells; therefore, reducing dependence on chemotherapy and radiation.
Despite its wide success in healing most patients, it is not without problems. The treatment depresses the immune system and leaves the patient susceptible to infections. Nutrition reduces this vulnerability by promoting healthy immune function, speeding up the recovery process, and minimizing side effects of immunotherapy. Foods that are high in vitamins A, C, and E and protein maintain the functioning of the immune system and maximize the effects of immunotherapy.
Conclusion
Nutrition is the most important aspect in recovery from head and neck cancer. It helps to support the immune system, repair tissues, and manage side effects of treatment. In addition to proper diet, immunotherapy may be promising for patients. Dr. Vikesh Shah is one of the leading immunotherapy physicians in Ahmedabad, where a patient would receive his finest verdict and treatment for head and neck cancer, understanding the different needs of his patients and the best appropriate treatment for them.
Dr. Vikesh Shah specializes in holistic cancer treatment with immunotherapy and individual nutrition counseling for a complete cure. Of course, one can feel safe being under the best hands of treatment in good physical and emotional care from the beginning of treatment until its conclusion.
In case of any head and neck cancer diagnosis to you or to anybody close to you, who has to consult a doctor to plan the course of treatment or understanding nutrition planning for better and more potent delivery of immunotherapy, get in touch with Dr. Vikesh Shah, consult him at his clinic in Ahmedabad.