Should the diet ‘starve cancer tumors’?

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Dr. Tran Vuong Thao Nghi – Head of Oncology Department, Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the concept of “starving cancer tumors” to kill cancer cells is just speculation and has no chance. certified by science. If the patient does not add enough nutrients, it will make the health condition increasingly weak and exhausted.

Cancer patients need to supplement with all the necessary groups of nutrients to improve their health and resistance Photo: Shutterstock

Specifically, according to Doctor Thao Nghi, the Oncology Department has received many cases of cancer patients who were diagnosed at the onset stage, which had many treatment opportunities but abandoned the treatment regimen to follow a healthy diet. nutrition, diet. They think that when cancer cells are “starved”, without nutrition, the cancer cells will die on their own and the tumor will slowly be destroyed. This causes the disease to progress to stage III, even stage IV, missing the “golden” stage of treatment.

Endoscopy for gastric cancer screening at Tam Anh General Hospital Photo: Provided by the hospital

“Currently, with new advances in screening and diagnosis, many cancers can be detected at a very early stage. The earlier a cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the cure rate. disease and the higher the chance of recurrence-free 5-year survival, which is 92% for lung cancer, 90% for colorectal cancer, and 93% for cancer breast cancer and cervical cancer… Tam Anh General Hospital applies the trend of ‘individualized’ treatment (for each patient, depending on the stage of the disease – health status – accompanying risk factors… appropriate treatment regimen) with treatment methods such as surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, stem cell transplantation into bone marrow… to limit recurrence and improve the quality of life for patients. On the contrary, if the disease progresses at a late stage, it not only causes loss of physical health, causes mental decline, increases treatment costs, endangers lives, but also reduces opportunities for treatment. cure diseases as well as reduce survival time”, emphasized doctor Thao Nghi.

Doctor Thao Nghi explained, cancer patients undergoing treatment methods such as surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy even need higher nutrition to nourish the body. For example, protein (protein) plays an important role in the body; Red meat not only contains high protein content, but also provides iron, which helps improve anemia caused by chemotherapy, and increases appetite in cancer patients who eat poorly. Therefore, eating macrobiotics, “saying no” to red meat is a mistake.

“Cancer patients need to supplement with a full range of nutrients to provide nutrients for the body, both to help recover from treatment and to improve health and resistance to the body. However, you should not over-feed, balance food groups, increase foods containing many vitamins and minerals, drink enough water, don’t eat salty foods, and limit fried, grilled, and processed foods.” Doctor Thao Nghi recommended.

Doctor Tran Vuong Thao Nghi instructs the patient’s family on how to supplement nutrition and provide scientific care Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital

Doctor Thao Nghi added that, in addition to medication and adherence to treatment regimens, nutrition is an indispensable basic foundation for cancer patients. At the Oncology Department – Tam Anh General Hospital, doctors always advise and guide patients and their families on a diet before, during and after treatment to provide adequate nutrients, improve general health, and support help the body recover quickly. In addition, the doctor also spends time supporting psychological counseling for patients and family members, thereby helping patients to be confident and optimistic, in order to improve treatment effectiveness.

Learn more about colon cancer: https://tamanhhospital.vn/ung-thu-dai-trang/