Weight gain
during and after adjuvant chemotherapy, is becoming an ever-increasing
significant concern. Women with breast cancer, for example, report a 45%
incidence of significant weight gain often at a time in their lives when loosing
it becomes difficult.
There are several reasons why patients, more often women,
gain weight:
-
Chemotherapy tends to cause some mild nausea, which many report
gets worse on an empty stomach resulting in regular snacking; with modern
anti-sickness medications, unlike the past, nausea is seldom enough, apart from
the first few days to stop people eating. Many oncology units and information
materials, however, still encourage patients to eat more as a throw back to days
where vomiting and weight loss was normal.
-
Steroids are usually
given with chemotherapy drugs which encourage a strong appetite and increased
fat deposition.
-
With the fatigue and
disruption of their daily routine regular exercise is reduced putting further
pressure on the pounds!
-
Hormone therapies such as tamoxifen aromatase inhibitors
and zoladex can also cause weight gain and unlike chemotherapy are usually given
for many years after initial surgery.
-
Finally but of equal importance is the
attitude of patients to food during treatments. Many people have had to be
careful with their calories before they even get their diagnosis. Unfortunately,
this tends to go out the window after their diagnosis – “dammed if I’m
going to diet now I’ve got cancer!”
The trick is not
to put on weight in the first place, but of course this is easier said than
done, if we were all perfect we would not be human. Nevertheless despite the daunting task ahead, whatever the
reasons and whenever you’re hoping to slim down it is never too late. The lifestyle section provides further
advice on diet after cancer but the
following table
highlights some salient tips.
Tips for eating fewer
calories:
-
Avoid faddy diets
-
Distract yourself from thinking about food
-
Avoid processed food
-
Eat less fatty foods e.g. deep fried
-
Avoid pastries, pies
-
Cut fat off meat
-
Eat less meat more fish
-
Eat a large salad with every meal
-
Reduce alcohol intake
-
Try not to eat 3 hours before bed
-
Try not to snack between meals
-
Avoid food from lunch to evening meal
Burning up the
calories with regular daily exercise not only helps to loose weight but
published interventional studies have demonstrated significant improvement in
body fat and lean mass indices. Likewise, exercise improves bone mineral
density, muscle strength and walking distance, all potential risk factors post
chemotherapy. Tips on how to exercise after cancer are described in detail
in a separate advice sheet within the lifestyle section.
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