Cancer is the degeneration of intestinal mucosal cells. It manifests itself with rapid and infiltrative growth, is able to give metastases and relapses to other organs. Colorectal (intestinal) cancer are tumors of the rectum and colon. Basically, the disease is diagnosed in people aged 40-75, mostly at the 3rd stage, when alarming symptoms form.
Important points
Several factors affect the life expectancy at once: location, size, tumor growth, cancer metastasis. With timely diagnosis and treatment, the chances of a full life increase several times.
Symptoms that are characteristic of cancer of the rectum or colon are the following:
- blood in the stool, secretion of blood and mucus from the intestine;
- the appearance of periodic abdominal cramps;
- pain and sensation of foreign material in the intestines;
- false urge to the toilet;
- constipation
- bloating, which is accompanied by vomiting and pain;
- loss of appetite, weight loss;
- weakness and constant fatigue;
- fever.
As specific symptoms, irritability, intestinal obstruction is manifested.
Causes
Why does rectal cancer occur? Nutrition and diet are prescribed only by the attending doctor, who takes into account all the causes of this disease:
- a significant decrease in immunity (cells are not able to provide protection);
- chronic diseases (cracks, fistulas, hemorrhoids);
- large single polyps or polyps (there is a risk of their transition to a malignant tumor);
- carcinogens (industrial poisons, radiation, nitrates, cholesterol, pesticides);
- genetic factor.
For treatment, methods used in oncological practice are used:
- distance and contact therapy;
- operation;
- polychemotherapy.
Food option
What should be the diet for colorectal cancer? Oncology is often triggered by unhealthy diets. A special diet for colorectal cancer is a must. Carcinogens can lead to cancer cells. Therefore, the products in which they are found, it is important to completely exclude from the daily menu. These include:
- hydrogenated oil (which is colored, has a large amount of fatty acids);
- fish grown in artificial reservoirs (using antibiotics for nutrition);
- sweeteners (refined, soda);
- white flour (chlorine-containing substances are used in its preparation, there are practically no useful elements in it);
- meat products (bacon, sausages, sausages);
- alcohol products;
- fast food.
Useful Tips
A diet for chemotherapy for colorectal cancer should be very gentle. What do doctors advise? You can choose only those products for which a daily shelf life has expired and storage conditions are met.
It is advisable to limit fat intake in the postoperative period. A diet for rectal cancer after surgery involves avoiding the use of food colors, preservatives, and chemical additives.
It is necessary to adhere to fractional nutrition: divide the main diet into 5-6 servings, make them small in volume.
Diet for colorectal cancer does not allow bowel overload. All food should be chewed carefully in compliance with the recommended temperature indicator for the consumed dishes (55 degrees).
Diet for colorectal cancer involves the mandatory inclusion of selenium in the diet. This chemical element allows you to fight atypical cells. Selenium is contained in greens, rice, dried fruits, eggs, seeds, and legumes.
The diet of a patient with colorectal cancer should contain mashed soups, whole grain cereals, vegetable broths, pumpkin puree, chopped boiled vegetables.
Dishes should be steamed. The diet of a patient with colorectal cancer involves obtaining during and after chemotherapy the maximum amount of micro and macro elements, vitamins. The menu includes vegetables, dairy products, cereals, fruit salads.
With the onset of nausea, drinking regimen is important (fruit drinks, sour juices, still water, jelly). In addition, the diet for radiation therapy of colorectal cancer involves nutrition at the same time, the rejection of snacks.
List of allowed products
How is a diet for colorectal cancer with metastases made? Allowed the use of certain products:
- lean meat and fish (carp, pike, hake, sea bass, pangasius);
- boiled vegetables (carrots, pumpkins, cauliflower, zucchini, tomatoes);
- dairy products (yogurt, cottage cheese, low-fat sour cream, kefir);
- fruits (jelly and mousse);
- cereals (oatmeal, buckwheat, rice);
- mild hard cheese, eggs (1-2 per day).
What other foods may include a diet after stoma closure? Colorectal cancer is a disease that can only be treated in an operable way.
During the recovery period, the use of vegetable oil (linseed, sunflower, olive) is allowed. Also in the diet can be pasta, vermicelli, biscuit cookies, stale white bread.
Invalid Products
It is important to exclude fresh black and white bread, pastries, sweets, sauces, spicy seasonings, mayonnaise from the diet. It is important to exclude fatty foods so as not to provoke an exacerbation of the disease.
Taking into account the individual characteristics of the body, other products may be included in this list, for example, part of vegetables and fruits.
Estimated weekly menu
What should a diet look like for stage 3 rectal cancer? Let us analyze an approximate variant of nutrition.
For breakfast, the first day should be oatmeal (approximately 150-180 g). For lunch - vegetable puree soup, diet bread, low-fat steak, steamed. Baked apples will be an afternoon snack, rice porridge and stewed fish are allowed for dinner. Serving weight is 100 grams. The diet for stage 4 colon cancer also looks like.
The next day you can eat as follows. Breakfast - steamed omelet. Lunch from rice soup (200 grams), meatballs from lean pork. A snack of dried fruit compote with 2-3 biscuits will be an afternoon snack. Dinner consists of steam cutlets and boiled vegetables.
The third day. Breakfast - soft-boiled egg and buckwheat porridge. Lunch: steamed chop, lean borsch. An afternoon snack consists of fruit mousse. For dinner, boiled fish with mashed potatoes is allowed.
Fourth day. Breakfast will be wheat porridge with berry jam. For lunch - cutlet, carrot puree, chicken broth. Afternoon banana, yogurt, and dinner - cottage cheese casserole with fruit.
Fifth day. Breakfast can consist of low-fat cottage cheese (up to 120 grams), one banana. Lunch consists of buckwheat soup, boiled meat. An afternoon snack consists of ryazhenka, wheat crackers. Dinner involves a fishcake with mashed potatoes.
Sixth day. In the morning, eating omelet with cauliflower is allowed. Lunch: vegetable puree soup, chicken cutlet. Afternoon snack is fruit yogurt, mousse. Dinner: rice with fresh vegetables.
Seventh day. Breakfast: two hard boiled eggs. Vegetable Salad. Lunch: chicken stock, pumpkin puree, meatballs. As an afternoon snack, oatmeal with the addition of raisins is allowed. Dinner: steamed potato zrazy, low-fat cottage cheese.
Oncological diseases are confirmation of problems with organs of gastrointestinal tract, suggest an integrated approach to solving the problem.
As one of the elements of the system, one can consider the observance of a complete diet and a sparing regime. A special diet should be observed for colorectal cancer, this is one of the steps to a full recovery.
Do I need to change gastronomic habits
If health problems have already appeared, you will have to constantly adhere to a healthy diet. Do not despair, because in case of timely diagnosis of colorectal cancer after surgery, you can prevent the proper nutrition.
After diagnosing the ailment, it is important to radically revise your lifestyle, especially the daily menu. Why choose the right nutrition before and after surgery for colorectal cancer? The reasons are as follows:
- sparing food significantly reduces the burden on the organ, prepares it for a difficult test;
- with the exclusion of provocative products, relapse can be prevented;
- a full-fledged diet helps the patient to fight the disease, especially during radiation and chemotherapy.
The principles of good nutrition
Compliance with certain rules helps to minimize the consequences of digestive disorders in colorectal cancer:
- the menu should include fresh dishes (unacceptably long storage of products in the refrigerator);
- only steaming or boiling is suitable;
- food is crushed to the maximum extent (wiped), served at room temperature;
- thorough chewing with copious saliva wetting of the food is important in the food process;
- products that provoke constipation, gas formation, the transition of healthy cells to malignant ones should be removed from the diet;
- monotony is prohibited, as it can cause a weakening of the mental and physical condition of the patient.
What to pay special attention to
After surgery, a person has a permanent or temporary colostomy. There are problems with the control of the emptying process - the main inconvenience with the anal artificial opening. To partially solve the problem, you can use the correct daily diet. From berries and fruits, it is allowed to use kiwi, watermelon, raspberry, banana, blackcurrant.
With the strictest diet, patients with colorectal cancer should go hungry immediately after surgery for 1-2 days, only after that “feeding” with mucous grated soups and porridges cooked on water is allowed.
The lack of vitamins and minerals in such a menu is compensated by the use of drugs.
Nutritionists advise using gray bread, to which whole grains are added. In addition to stewed fruit, green tea, jelly, wild rose broth, the use of medicinal aromatic herbs is allowed: fireweed, chamomile, mint. During the day you need to drink about 1.2-1.5 liters, including first courses.
The diet in the case of rectal oncology allows the exclusion of factors that provoke irritation of the intestinal mucous membranes, as well as any pathological processes.
Ban
Among these products, salting and smoked meats, red meat, animal fats can be distinguished (the exception is the minimum amount of butter). Also, red and white cabbage, chocolate, muffins, sweet drinks, strong tea, soda, cocoa, coffee should not be present in the diet. Strong alcohol, kebabs and steaks are absolutely prohibited.
Interesting Facts
As a result of scientific research, it was found that some products of animal and plant origin are able to withstand the formation of cancer cells. In the case of colorectal cancer, doctors recommend introducing the following beneficial ingredients in small amounts:
- nuts, dried fruits, pumpkin seeds;
- beef liver;
- seaweed, fresh shrimp;
- leafy green vegetables.
It is necessary to enrich the daily menu so as to take into account not only the specifics of the disease, but also the individual characteristics of the person. For example, it is undesirable to experiment with the use of legumes. Despite the fact that they contain a small amount of selenium, they cause strong fermentation in the body, resulting in serious moral and physical discomfort. After chemotherapy, experts advise using good nutrition to help the body recover from a difficult test.