Nutrition For Breast Cancer Patients

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is a side effect that can be associated with several breast cancer drugs or other treatments.  When a patient has dry mouth, foods may be more difficult to chew or swallow.  

Suggestions for coping:

• Take small sips of water every few minutes to help moisten the mouth.
• Eat sweet foods or drinks such as lemonade to help the mouth produce more saliva.
• Eat moist foods with sauces or gravies to make swallowing easier.
• Talk to a physician about other options to treat dry mouth.

Diarrhea

Chemotherapy, drug therapies, or other breast cancer treatments as well as coping with the stress of breast cancer may cause diarrhea.  Patients with severe diarrhea (lasting more than a few days) should contact their physician immediately.  Patients with diarrhea can lose valuable vitamins and nutrients and become dehydrated.   Diarrhea is a common side effect of several breast cancer drugs, including Herceptin, Arimidex, and Ellence.

Suggestions for coping:

• Drink plenty of liquids and drink beverages at room temperature.
• Eat several small meals rather than three large ones.
• Try low-fiber foods such as rice, noodles, yogurt, bananas, lean beef, skinned turkey or chicken, etc.
• Avoid fried foods, raw and high-fiber vegetables, and fruits. 

Constipation

Some drugs used to treat breast cancer (such as Herceptin) may cause constipation.  Constipation may also occur if there is a lack of bulk or fluids in the diet.  

Suggestions for coping:

• Drink plenty of liquids.
• Eat high-fiber foods (such as cereals or pastas), fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grain products.
• Exercise if the physician recommends it.
• Talk to a physician about medications to ease constipation. 

Weight Gain or Weight Loss

 Some cancer patients find that they gain or lose weight during treatment from certain drug therapies or from stress. Patients should talk to their physicians if they experience any significant weight fluctuation during treatment.  Weight gain during cancer treatment could be due to water retention or other effects of treatment rather than an increased caloric intake.  An attempt to lose weight during treatment could cause increased health problems in some patients.  Diuretics can usually be prescribed to reduce excess water in the body. 

Weight loss is a possible side effect of tamoxifen. The drug Aromasin has been shown to increase or decrease appetite in some patients.  Weight gain or loss may also occur from the stress of breast cancer treatment. 

Additional Resources and References

• (1) Many of the suggestions for coping with side effects of cancer treatment in this article are recommended by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).  The NCI provides a wealth of information on all aspects of breast cancer, from screening and diagnosis to treatment and survival.  Visit http://www.cancer.gov/ for more information eating hints for cancer patients.   NCI also provides free brochures through its Cancer Information Service.  For more information, call 1.800.4.CANCER.
• The American Cancer Society provides information on nutrition during cancer treatment at http://www.cancer.org/
• To learn more about breast cancer treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, please visit http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/chemo.asp and http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/radio_bctreatment.asp respectively.
• To learn more about breast cancer treatment with drugs (such as tamoxifen, Herceptin, or others) please visit http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/bc_drugs.asp

Updated: September 7, 2007

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