Eating well is always important. It is especially important when you have cancer and are undergoing therapy. Cancer therapy is stressful to your body. After surgery, you'll need energy from the calories and nutrients in food to help you heal and repair tissue.

During chemotherapy or radiation therapy, side effects can make it difficult for you to eat because of mouth soreness or difficulty swallowing. Cancer drugs can make you feel nauseous. Sometimes you lose your appetite because you are nervous or worried. You can take drugs to control nausea and vomiting, or try massage, hypnosis, muscle relaxation, or biofeedback. These have been shown to decrease the duration and frequency of nausea and to reduce anxiety levels.

Work with your health care team to make sure everything is being done to keep you as well-nourished as possible. You'll have less chance of getting an infection. If you lose weight, you may have to reduce your dose of chemotherapy. This may reduce your chance of cure. Also, without enough fluids in your body, problems can occur in your other body systems.

As long as you stay within your dietary restrictions, whatever you can do to get the nutrition and calories you need is fine. It may be better for you to have a drink or small snack every hour instead of three larger meals. Ask to see a nutritionist to get the exact recommendations for your needs. Your Cancer Center may have special recipe booklets for cancer patients. If they don't, call the National Cancer Institute at (800) 4-CANCER to get a booklet and to learn more about nutrition and cancer.

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