• Eating Well On Treatment
    • A dietitian or clinical nutritionist is a health professional who is qualified to give specific advice and recommendations on diets that promote well-being and recovery from disease.
    • Dietitians use their knowledge of food, nutrition, health and disease to develop individualised nutritional care plans for clients.
    • Nutrition recommendations are based on scientific studies and evidence-based practice.
    • The professional body for governance of clinical nutritionists and dietitians in Ireland is the Irish Nutrition & Dietetic Institute (INDI).

     The dietitian’s role during cancer treatment

    • Dietitians ensure optimum nutrition for patients undergoing or recovering from cancer treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
    • For people with cancer, good nutrition and food intake can improve tolerance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and also improve their quality of life.

    Dietetic services during cancer treatment include

    • Assessment and education regarding special diets.
    • Management of side effects from treatment.
    • Management of tube feeding.
    • Nutrition education for patients, families and carers.
    • Information on nutrition and diet for cancer support groups.
    • Advice on emerging diet therapies and potential benefits or harmful effects from these diets.

    Click the links above for more information

  • Symptoms & Diet
    Sore Mouth or Throat
    Dry Mouth
    Swallowing Difficulties
    Taste Changes
    Nausea and Vomiting
    Constipation
    Diarrhoea
    Fatigue
    Exercise
    Reducing Risk of Infection
  • Modified Diets

    Many patients experience “dysphagia” – a change or difficulty in swallowing whilst on certain types of radiation treatment.

    Healthy Swallow

    This means you may be advised to change the texture of your foods to make it easier and safer to swallow. This is called a “Modified diet”

    Types of modified diets include:

    • Soft diets
    • Minced and moist diets
    • Puréed diets
    • Liquidised diets

    You may also be advised to only drink liquids that are thickened. Thickened liquids are often easier to swallow as they “go down” the throat more slowly, allowing time for them to be swallowed into the “food pipe” (oesophagus) rather than spilling quickly into the windpipe.

    You might see these diets being referred to as a numbered “level” – this is an international system of grading diets so that everyone knows the exact diet you have been advised to eat / drink.

    Your Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) will advise you on the safest diet level.

    Your Dietitian will then advise you on nourishing foods to eat within this type of diet.

    There is lots of information and recipe books available to help you eat and drink well on your new diet level.

    Click the links below to explore your level:

  • Feeding Tube Resources

    There are lots of great videos to help you care for your feeding tube

    C RIG tube

    Private video new link needed

    C PEG tube

    Links to https://avanos.com/ Is this right?

    IG balloon volume

    Links to https://avanos.com/ Is this right?

    A PEG Y adapter (top of the tube)

  • Diet & Recovery

    Diet in recovery can vary from patient to patient

    You may have lost weight during treatment and so may need to continue on a high protein, high energy diet to help recover and gain weight.

    You may have managed treatment very well and now need to focus on survivorship and future cancer prevention.

    Your Dietitian will advise you on which diet you need to follow after treatment

    Click the links below for excellent recipes and advice or ask your dietitian for a hard copy

    High Protein, High Energy Cookbook

    Good Nutrition for cancer recovery

    Healthy Eating Cookbook

    Healthy Eating Cookbook Link Needed

    General Healthy Lifestyle Advice

    Healthy Living after Cancer

     

  • Further Resources & Videos

    The Irish Head and Neck Society (ihns.ie) has wonderful videos from all of the team involved in caring for Head and Neck cancer Patients and their role

    World Cancer Research Fund website and resources
    www.wcrf-uk.org

    Breakthrough Cancer Research cookbooks
    www.breakthroughcancerresearch.ie

    Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre (NY) website – section on herbal/ alternative products www.mskcc.org

    Trekstock Young Adult Cancer Support Food and Cancer
    www.trekstock.com

    Irish Cancer Society www.cancer.ie

  • Contact & Referrals

    Referrals to the Dietitian in St. Luke’s are made by the medical and nursing team.

    If you have concerns about your eating, drinking or are experiencing any weight changes whilst on treatment then please speak with a member of your medical team.

    If you are finished your treatment, you can access community dietitians in your area via your GP

    Private dietitians are available nationwide.

    To find out more:

    • Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute indi.ie
    • Self Employed Dietitians Ireland sedi.ie