Nutrition care for cancer in Denver
We emphasize diet as an integral part of cancer care.
Determining your nutritional needs can seem overwhelming, but at Colorado Blood Cancer Institute, our dieticians are here to help. Getting enough nutrients is essential during cancer treatment, so we work to ensure your body can be as strong and healthy as possible.
Conditions we address with nutritional support
We provide an extensive nutritional knowledge base for those who've experienced the following conditions and procedures:
- Autoimmune disorders
- Blood disorders
- Cancers
- Stem cell transplantation
Oncologic nutritional guidance we provide
We deliver both inpatient and outpatient nutrition care. Depending on the type and severity of your condition, our dietitians may work with you several times throughout the treatment process.
Boosting nutrient levels during cancer treatment
Getting enough nutrients is essential for maintaining your health during treatment. Electrolytes are crucial because they carry out key processes your body needs to function. The food and drinks you consume provide electrolytes, and you lose them through natural processes such as sweating, making it necessary to replace what you lose through a proper diet.
Other important components of your diet during cancer treatment include:
- Calcium — Essential for bone health, especially in children, teenagers, people taking prednisone and women with hormonal changes
- Easy snack ideas — Help you maintain weight, and give you needed energy throughout the day
- Healthy smoothie recipes — Refreshing, tasty, soothing and easy-to-make source of calories, protein, calcium and other nutrients
- Magnesium — Required for the production of protein, the transfer of energy, as well as muscle contraction and relaxation
- Potassium — Necessary to help maintain the balance of fluids
- Protein — Used by your body to build and repair tissues and support your immune system, making it crucial to eat high-protein foods
Guidelines for food safety after chemotherapy and transplant
Your nutritional health is crucial for supporting your immune system, preventing weight loss and promoting wellness after you receive chemotherapy or a transplant. We encourage you to follow simple guidelines to prevent foodborne illness that could affect your recovery, including regularly washing your hands, particularly when handling raw meat.
A dietician will talk to you about nutrition during your transplant and special dietary restrictions you must follow while you are neutropenic. If you have special dietary needs, these dedicated professionals will work with you to help you select the best foods. Talk with them about what type of diet may be right for you after chemotherapy, including neurtropenic, immunocompromised and gastrointestinal/graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) diets.
Specialized GvHD disease diets
GvHD can occur after an allogeneic stem cell transplant, if the donor's cells (known as "the graft") flag the recipient's (known as "the host") healthy cells as foreign. The donor cells then launch an attack against these healthy cells.
Chemotherapy, certain medications, GvHD and infections can cause symptoms that affect your appetite and nutritional intake. Two special diets may help ease these symptoms:
- Outpatient gastrointestinal/GvHD diet I — Designed to decrease diarrhea, bloating, cramping, nausea and vomiting
- Outpatient gastrointestinal/GvHD diet II — Prescribed to minimize diarrhea, bloating, cramping, nausea and vomiting