Nutrition After Your Procedureto treat Colon Cancer

What You Need to know

Procedure is done: What’s Next?

•Make sure to follow up with the dietician or nutritionist your cancer doctor recommended.

•They can help and provide assistance for dietary changes along your recovery period.

If you’re like most people, chances of success are greater if you change your eating habits gradually , rather than making huge changes all at once.

Procedure is done:What’s Next?

•Recovery may take several months before your colon can adequately adapt.

•Although a segment of you colon is removed during surgery, the remaining large intestine is able to compensate easily.

•Your nutrition counselors can suggest ways to adjust your eating habits to help you cope with problems as they occur

Colon Cancer: Food for thought

This includes prevention, or prevention of recurrence, of Colon Cancer. Changing our eating habits can be very hard, and we naturally eat foods that we like

Procedure is done: What’s Next?

Eating a •Healthy •Minimally processed •Plant-based diet is a start. They have plenty of benefits

Consuming foods •Slowly • Small and frequent •Balanced in proteins and carbohydrates

•Low Residue and Low Fiber diet to help reduce bulk of stool

Nutritional Therapy

•Each type of treatment can affect your eating in different ways.•Having part of your intestine removed will cause changes in your digestion and bowel habits.•Cooking with herbs and spices can perk up your taste buds and make food seem more appealing.

Dealing with Side Effects

Top Side Effects Post Treatment•Nausea •Vomiting •Diarrhea•Intractable Belching/Flatulence

•People who eat well during their treatment are better able to cope with the side effects of treatment.•Good nutrition also keeps your immune system working properly to help you fight infection.•Avoid nutritional supplements or starting special/unusual diets unless recommended by your care team.

Progression of Diet after your procedure

Terms you may hear and read as you progress through your recovery

•NPO – Nothing by mouth – Can be strictly prohibited to take anything by mouth or swallowing. If tolerated, sips of water and ice chips are ok.

•Clear Liquid Diet – Once warranted, you can consume  sugarfree jello, diluted 100% fruit juice, and clear protein supplements, such as Isopure Zero Carb.

•Full Liquid Diet - During the full liquid diet, you should focus on fluids and protein intake. Common food choices on the full liquid diet include protein shakes, sugarfree puddings, no-sugar-added applesauce and yogurt, as well as all choices from the clear liquid diet.

•Mechanically-altered soft diet-  mechanically altered soft diet as a way to incorporate more solid foods that still require minimal chewing and will pass easily through the digestive system. This diet is similar to a traditional diet, but the required texture is achieved by chopping, grinding, flaking, or pureeing foods.

•Regular Diet- Following the progression, patients may resume a regular diet, focusing on low fiber, low residue diet to allow reduce in bulk of stool.

Words to Know – A Glossary

Adenocarcinoma – A malignant tumor arising tissueAnalgesic – A drug the relieves painAnastomosis – The reconnection made between healthy sections of the colon or rectum after the cancerous portion has been surgically removedAnemia- A condition in which decreased red blood cells may cause symptoms of tiredness, shortness of breath, and weakness.Antiemetic agent – A drug the prevents or controls nausea and vomiting.Anus – The muscular opening from the rectum to the outside of the body.Ascending colon – The rights-side part of the colon, connected to the small intestine.Barium Enema – The use of solution given by enema during X-ray exam of the lower intestinal tract.Benign – Not harmful; not cancerous.Biopsy – the removal of a sample tissue for examination under a microscope to check for disease, like cancer.

Blood Count- The number of red and white blood cells, and platelets, in a sample of blood.Bowel –The intestine. The large bowel includes the colon and rectum.Cancer- Abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth, resulting in a mass (tumor), that invade and destroy surrounding normal tissue.Carcinogen –A substance that causes cancer.Carcinoma – A type of cancer that starts in the skin or lining of organs.CEA – Carcinoembryonic antigen; a substance produced by some type of cancer, including colon and rectum. Measured by CEA Assay to test for recurrence after treatment.Chyme – Watery digestive material found in the small intestine and in colon’s first section.Colectomy – An operation to remove all or part of colon.(Hemicolectomy-removal of half)

Words to Know – A Glossary

Colon (large bowel/large intestine – The long, tube-like organ that removes water from digested food. The remaining material, solid waste called stool, moves through the colon to the rectum, and leaves through the anus. Colonoscopy – A procedure to look at the entire colon and rectum through a lighted, flexible tube.Colostomy– A surgical procedure to create an opening between the colon and the outside of the abdomen, allowing discharge of stool into a collection bag attached.Crohn’s Disease - A condition that causes inflammation of the intestines, and people with extensive Crohn’s are at higher risk of developing colorectal cancer.Descending colon – The left-side of the colon.Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) – An exam to detect rectal cancer, where doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum and feels abnormal areas.Endcoscopy– A procedure for looking through a lighted tube at the inside of body organs or cavities, like intestines.Excision – Surgical Removal

Fecal Occult Blood Test – A test to check for hidden (occult) blood in feces.Fiber (bulk/roughage)– The parts of fruits and vegetables that cannot be digested. Helps prevent colorectal cancer.Gastroenterologist- A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the digestive system.Hematuria–Blood in the urineIleostomy – A surgical opening in the abdomen connected to the ileum (part of small intestine). It creates a channel for waste material to leave the body after part of the intestine has been removed.Immunotherapy – A type of biological therapy that stimulates the immune system to fight cancer cells more effectively.Intraperitoneal – Within the peritoneal cavity, the area that contains the abdominal organs.

Words to Know – A Glossary

Laparoscopy– a procedure for looking inside the abdominal cavity through a lighted tube. Lesion – A lump or abscess that may be caused by injury or by a disease such as cancer.Lower G.I. series. A series of X-rays of the colon and rectum that is taken after the patient is given a barium enema. GI stands for gastrointestinal.Lymphatic system– A network in the body that includes the lymph nodes, lymph fluid, and lymphatic vessels, and in the broadest sense, the bone marrow, spleen, and thymus. The system produces and store cells that fight infection and disease, serving as a filtering system for tissue fluids.Lyphedema – Swelling due to blockage of lymph fluid causing fluid retention in a particular part of the body such as arms and legs. Removal or radiation therapy of lymph nodes can cause lymphedema.Lymphoma – A cancer of the lymphatic system.Malignant – Cancerous: Malignant cells can spread to (invade) nearby tissue and travel (metastasize) to other parts of the body.

Medical Oncologist– A doctor who specializes in treatment of cancer using medications.Metastasis – The migration of cancer cells from the original tumor site (primary cancer) through the blood and lymph vessels to produce cancers in other tissuesMRI (magnetic resonance imaging)- A test that provides depth images of organs and structures in the bodyMucosa –The lining layer of certain organs such as those of the mouth and gastrointestinal tract. Neoplasm– A new growth of tissue or cells; can refer to a benign tumor or a malignant tumor. OCN (Oncology Certified Nurse) – A registered nurse who has met training requirements and has completed the certification exam in oncology.Oncology – The study and treatment of cancer

Words to know- A Glossary

Placebo – An inert substance sometimes used in clinical trials for comparisonPolyp– A growth of tissue protruding into a body cavity, such as nasal or rectal polyp. Polyps may be benign or malignantPrognosis – The projected outcome or course of a Radiation Therapy- Treatment using X-rays, protons, electrons, neutrons, or other types of radiation to kill cancersRandomized Clinical Trial– A study in which patients with similar traits, such as extent of disease, are placed randomly in separate groups to compare different treatments.Rectum- The last six to eight inches of the large intestine. The rectum stores solid waste until it leaves the body through the anus.Recurrence /relapse– The reappearance of cancer after a period of remission.Regression – Shrinkage of a cancerous growth, usually as a result of treatment.Remission – The decrease or disappearance of evidence of a disease. Remission can be temporary or permanent.Resection – Surgical procedure to remove all or part of a diseased organ.

Sigmoid colon – The S-shaped part of the colon between the descending (left) colon and rectumSigmoidoscopy– An examination of the rectum and lower colon using a sigmoidoscope. Staging- A system for establishing the extent of a patient’s diseaseStoma – An artificial opening between two cavities or between a cavity and the surface of the body.Systemic – Affecting the entire bodySystemic therapy- Treatment that reaches cells throughout the body by travelling through the patient’s bloodstream.Therapeautic– Pertaining to treatmentTransverse Colon – The horizontal section of the colonTumor – An abnormal overgrowth of cells, and they can be benign or malignant.Ulcerative colitis– A disease that causes long-term inflammation of the lining of the colon. People with colitis are at a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer.

Helpful Professional Websites

Click this link to be directed to valuable information from the distinguished professionals from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute about diet after colon surgery

The American Cancer Society is at the forefront of supporting those who are fighting, and still fighting, the war on cancer, and you can go here to check out and get more helpful tips on diet and nutrition that can assist you on recovery.

You can also go to this site from the highly-respected Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Lasting tips

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