How to make your chemotherapy sessions happier

Dear friends, many cancer treatments involve chemotherapy sessions. People undergoing chemotherapy may have several questions, concerns, and misconceptions about the treatment and how it affects their daily lives.

This blog may help address some of these concerns. Here are some common myths and facts about cancer and chemotherapy that you should know.

Myths and Facts About Cancer

Myth: Cancer is incurable.

Fact: Many types of cancer can be cured, particularly when detected and treated early. Treatment outcomes depend on the type of cancer, its stage, and individual health factors.

Myth: Cancer spreads through physical contact.

Fact: Cancer is not contagious. It does not spread through touching, hugging, sharing meals, or being around someone who has cancer.

Myth: Cancer spreads because of a biopsy or surgery.

Fact: Biopsies and cancer surgeries are generally safe when performed using appropriate medical techniques. The risk of cancer spreading because of these procedures is extremely low.

Myth: Eating sugar makes cancer worse.

Fact: There is no conclusive evidence that eating sugar directly causes cancer to grow faster or that avoiding sugar makes cancer disappear. However, consuming excessive added sugar can contribute to other health problems. A balanced diet that provides adequate calories and nutrients is important during cancer treatment.

Myth: Mobile phones cause cancer.

Fact: Mobile phones emit radiofrequency radiation, which is non-ionising radiation. Current evidence has not established a clear causal link between mobile phone use and cancer.

Diet During Chemotherapy Sessions

Eating appropriately before, during, and after chemotherapy can help you maintain your energy levels and manage treatment-related side effects. Your nutritional needs may vary depending on the type of cancer, treatment, and individual health conditions.

What Should I Eat Before Chemotherapy?

Consider eating a light breakfast before your chemotherapy session, particularly if you experience nausea. Simple, easily tolerated foods may be helpful. Some options include:

• Poached eggs and toast.
• Khichdi, poha, upma, or daliya.
• Cereal or muesli with milk.
• Idli, khaman, or dhokla.
• Curd or yoghurt.

During chemotherapy, carry a small, easy-to-digest snack if your treatment centre permits it. You may consider suitable foods from the list above, bananas, pasteurised liquid yoghurt, or other snacks that you tolerate well.

Carry a bottle of water or another beverage recommended by your healthcare team. If you have mouth sores, nausea, or digestive discomfort, avoid acidic foods and drinks that worsen your symptoms.

What Should I Eat After Chemotherapy?

There is no single diet that works for everyone receiving chemotherapy. However, a few general principles can help you maintain adequate nutrition and reduce the risk of foodborne infections.

• Maintain Food Hygiene: Wash your hands before preparing or eating food. Ensure that utensils, cooking surfaces, and food containers are clean. Choose food from reliable sources and avoid food that has been stored improperly or whose safety is uncertain.
• Drink Safe Water: Drink water from a reliable, properly treated source. Follow your healthcare team's advice if you have specific dietary or fluid restrictions.
• Wash Fruits and Vegetables Thoroughly: Wash produce under clean running water before eating or preparing it. Peeling fruits may be helpful in some situations, but it does not replace proper washing. Follow any additional food-safety precautions recommended by your oncology team.
• Cook Food Thoroughly: Avoid raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. Prepare non-vegetarian food hygienically and cook it to a safe internal temperature. Refrigerate perishable foods promptly and reheat leftovers thoroughly.
• Include Protein-Rich Foods: Protein helps maintain muscle mass and supports the body's repair processes. Suitable options include dal, beans, soy products, paneer, pasteurised dairy products, eggs, and thoroughly cooked meat or fish. Your oncologist or dietitian may recommend nutritional supplements if required.
• Get Enough Calories: Ensure that you eat enough to maintain your strength and weight. If nausea, vomiting, or taste changes affect your appetite, try foods you enjoy and tolerate well. Mild seasonings may help improve flavour if they do not irritate your mouth or stomach.
• Monitor Blood Sugar: If you have diabetes, monitor your blood glucose levels as advised by your healthcare team. Chemotherapy, changes in appetite, infections, and certain medicines can affect blood sugar levels.
• Eat Small, Frequent Meals: Try eating five or six smaller meals throughout the day instead of three large meals if this makes eating more comfortable.
• Choose Easily Tolerated Foods: If you experience nausea or digestive discomfort, try bland, lower-fat foods. Adjust your diet according to your symptoms and nutritional requirements.
• Stay Hydrated: Drink fluids regularly to help prevent dehydration. Your healthcare team can advise you about the appropriate amount of fluid for your condition.

Important: Some chemotherapy treatments can lower white blood cell counts and increase the risk of infection. Ask your oncology team whether you need any additional food-safety precautions, especially if your immune system is significantly weakened.

Can Yoga and Exercise Help During Chemotherapy?

Gentle exercise and appropriately adapted yoga may help some people undergoing cancer treatment maintain physical function, flexibility, and emotional well-being. However, the type and intensity of activity should be suited to your health and treatment plan.

Potential benefits of appropriate physical activity and yoga include:

• Helping maintain muscle strength, mobility, and flexibility.
• Reducing fatigue in some people.
• Supporting emotional well-being and helping manage stress.
• Improving mood and quality of life.
• Supporting daily functioning and overall fitness.

Before starting yoga or an exercise routine, seek approval from your treating physician. A qualified instructor experienced in working with people undergoing cancer treatment can help you adapt activities to your needs. Avoid strenuous exercise when you are unwell, dizzy, or experiencing significant treatment-related side effects.

Using Music to Reduce Distress During Chemotherapy

Music can be a useful way to support emotional well-being during cancer treatment. Listening to favourite songs or participating in music-based activities may help some patients relax and cope with anxiety and treatment-related distress.

You can try listening to calming music before or during treatment, where permitted by your treatment centre. Singing, playing a musical instrument, or simply listening to familiar melodies may also provide comfort.

Music-based activities can complement medical care and other supportive therapies, although their effects vary from person to person.

Stay Active and Continue Your Interests

Receiving chemotherapy does not necessarily mean that you must remain in bed or stay at home throughout your treatment. Many people can continue some of their usual activities, depending on how they feel and the advice of their healthcare team.

You may be able to:

• Continue suitable household and office activities.
• Pursue your hobbies and personal interests.
• Watch your favourite television shows or films.
• Spend time gardening, painting, singing, or playing musical instruments.
• Enjoy indoor games and other relaxing activities.
• Participate in suitable physical activities when your doctor considers them safe.

Staying engaged in enjoyable activities may help you maintain a sense of routine, reduce stress, and support your emotional well-being. However, rest when needed and avoid activities that increase your risk of infection, injury, or exhaustion. Ask your doctor about swimming and other activities that may require additional precautions during treatment.

Maintain a Positive and Realistic Outlook

A cancer diagnosis can bring uncertainty, fear, and many questions about the future. It is natural to feel worried, and you do not have to ignore your emotions or remain positive all the time.

Every cancer behaves differently, and treatment outcomes depend on several factors, including the cancer type, stage, available treatments, and individual health. Your treating oncologist is the best person to explain your prognosis and discuss your treatment options.

Rather than focusing continuously on worst-case scenarios, try to concentrate on your treatment plan, daily goals, and activities that bring you comfort. Talking with trusted family members, friends, counsellors, or support groups may help you cope with difficult emotions.

Remember that statistics describe groups of people and cannot predict an individual's outcome with certainty. If anxiety or persistent negative thoughts are affecting your daily life, seek support from your healthcare team.

Sexual Health and Chemotherapy

Many people can continue to have sex during chemotherapy if they feel comfortable and their healthcare team has not advised otherwise. However, sexual activity may need to be adjusted depending on the treatment, side effects, blood counts, risk of infection, and individual circumstances.

• Discuss Sexual Activity: Ask your oncologist whether any precautions are necessary during your specific treatment.
• Use Protection: Your healthcare team may recommend condoms or other barrier methods during and for a period after treatment to reduce exposure to bodily fluids or protect against sexually transmitted infections.
• Avoid Pregnancy During Treatment: Some anticancer medicines can harm an unborn baby. Use effective contraception and discuss how long pregnancy should be avoided with your oncologist.
• Discuss Fertility: Chemotherapy may affect fertility in some patients. If you wish to have children in the future, discuss fertility preservation before treatment begins.
• Seek Help for Sexual Side Effects: Fatigue, hormonal changes, vaginal dryness, erectile difficulties, and changes in sexual desire may occur during treatment. Your healthcare team can suggest suitable ways to manage them.

Cancer itself is not contagious and cannot be passed to a sexual partner through ordinary sexual contact. However, individual precautions may be necessary during treatment, so follow the advice of your oncology team.

Maintaining Personal Hygiene During Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy may lower the body's ability to fight infections, depending on the medicines used and their effects on blood cell counts. Maintaining personal hygiene can help reduce the risk of certain infections and keep you comfortable during treatment.

• Bathe Regularly: Keep your body clean by bathing regularly with mild products that do not irritate your skin.
• Maintain Intimate Hygiene: Gently clean your external genital area during bathing. Avoid harsh soaps, perfumed products, or internal cleansing products that may cause irritation.
• Trim Your Nails: Keep your fingernails and toenails clean and trimmed. Avoid cutting cuticles or performing treatments that may damage the surrounding skin.
• Wear Clean Clothes: Change into fresh clothes and undergarments regularly, preferably daily, and whenever they become soiled.
• Wash Your Hands: Wash your hands thoroughly before eating and after using the toilet.
• Protect Your Skin: Avoid scratching or picking at your skin, and report wounds, rashes, swelling, or signs of infection to your healthcare team.
• Follow Medical Advice: If you have a central line, chemotherapy port, or other medical device, follow the specific cleaning and care instructions provided by your healthcare team.

Contact your oncology team promptly if you develop a fever, chills, or other signs of infection during chemotherapy. Early medical assessment is important because infections can become serious when immunity is reduced.

Conclusion

Chemotherapy can be challenging, but understanding your treatment, maintaining appropriate nutrition and hygiene, staying active when possible, and seeking emotional support can help you manage the treatment period.

Every patient's experience is different. Follow your oncologist's recommendations, report new or worsening symptoms promptly, and consult your healthcare team before making significant changes to your diet, exercise routine, sexual activity, or medicines.

With appropriate medical guidance and supportive care, you can take practical steps to protect your health and improve your quality of life during cancer treatment.