Part 1：For leucopenia after chemotherapy, how should cancer patients adjust their diet?
Chemotherapy is one of the common methods to treat malignant tumors. Leukopenia is one of the main adverse reactions of chemotherapy, which can cause infection, fever, pneumonia, septicemia , etc.
During the treatment, patients with leucopenia is often manifested asthenia, muscle swelling, fever, poor appetite, dyspepsia, drowsiness and other symptoms. Leukopenia and secondary serious infection often affect the smooth progress of chemotherapy, thereby leading to a reduction in clinical efficacy.
When leukopenia occurs, What kind of diet should we choose to face this period?
Dietary measures
High protein diet can improve the body's resistance and provide material basis for the recovery of white blood cells to normal.
Choose high-quality protein-rich foods, such as fish, eggs, lean meat, animal liver, kidney, milk and beans . High protein food can be made into fluids or semi-fluids to digest and absorb easily.
Eat more iron rich food. This kind of food can guarantee the body to get enough blood forming materials.
Foods with more iron include meat and animal viscera, and vegetables such as spinach, celery, amaranth, shepherd's purse, tomato, etc.
A diet rich in vitamins and minerals
Vitamin can promote the growth and development of cells, contribute to the differentiation and proliferation of white blood cells, and promote cells return to normal function. Supplementation of vitamins and minerals can help enhance hematopoietic function, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, selenium.
The patients should choose yeast noodles, cereals, peanuts, green fresh vegetables, fruits, juice and so on to supplement vitamin C, B and folic acid. In addition, the food rich in vitamins should not be cooked for too long to avoid vitamin loss.
The patients also can choose huangqi, dangshen, red ginseng, ginseng, angelica, wolfberry and other tonic herbs for stewing chicken and duck.
If there is a fever, we encourage patients to drink more water about 3000-3500 ml per day, and take a temperature measurement after cooling.
If the leucocyte count is less than 3.0 *109/L, it is necessary to take leucocyte-raising drugs strictly according to doctor's instructions and check the blood routine regularly.
The patient need to pay attention to oral, perineal and skin hygiene, dietary hygiene, reduce the number of eating out. The food outside can't guarantee the freshness of the meal, or it may be overnight. Patients with low white blood cells are prone to diarrhea.
Pay attention to disinfection during food production
At this time, the patient's resistance is weak and easily complicated with infection. When we make food, it should be strictly disinfected to ensure that all kinds of food entering the mouth are clean, and firmly do not eat raw cold or unclean food.
For patients with severe reaction and long-term nutritional deficiency, parenteral nutrition input method can be used to improve the patient's condition.
From: Department of nutrition, Tianjin Medical University cancer institute & Hospital