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How to maintain weight during cancer treatment?

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How to maintain weight during cancer treatment?

Cancer is a tough disease to fight. So it would be best to prevent it or get detected at the earliest. We can say that weight gain and cancer are related. Cancer can cause weight gain and vice versa. So keeping your weight in check is idle if you have cancer or not. This will require you to adopt a few changes in your lifestyle and thought process.

Do not ignore weight gain during treatment:

Severe weight loss or gain during the treatment of cancer both are bad. Weight loss is generally due to dehydration and muscle loss. But weight gain is not be left unnoticed. You must report it to your doctor. This may point out some flaws in your treatment. Or maybe something has not been detected. They will need to check the whole treatment and find loopholes. Also, a weight gain may mean a change in the stage of cancer. So even if the treatment is working it will have to be speeded up. You may need a higher dose or a longer duration. Weight gain and cancer should not happen together, that is bad for treatment.

What needs to be done to manage weight?

You will need to contact a dietician. They will prescribe a diet and exercise for you. Try to follow it religiously to have a good quality of life. You may need to limit fluid intake if there is water retention near the ankles. If the swelling is in the abdomen rush to your care team and tell them about it. There may have been an enlargement of an organ that needs attention. You can also cut down your sugar intake and high calories foods. Eat a lot of fibre to keep your bowel movement smooth. Eat smaller portions multiple times rather than stuffing yourself with food twice a day only. Increase your activity level after approval from your doctor.

Summary:

Any kind of sudden changes in your weight during cancer treatment is bad. You must report any such changes as soon as you notice. Do not wait to see if the situation varies. Also do not rely on home remedies first. Keep your doctor informed of whatever you are doing for weight control. In case the swelling persists and you feel dizzy do rush to the hospital.

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