Mesothelioma is treated by one or more of the following: radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and immunotherapy. All forms of treatment have side effects and the rapidly-multiplying cells of the digestive tract are often collateral damage in the fight against cancer. This is why cancer patients often complain of feeling “sick to their stomachs”. Further, the worry and anxiety that accompanies cancer can also reduce appetite. Loss of appetite is consequently common among mesothelioma patients, at a time in their live when their bodies need good nutrition.

Modern medicine has ways to manage some of the side effects of cancer treatment. These methods work better for some patients than for others. Regardless, the patient, his or her caregivers, and all friends and family are advised to ensure that nutritional needs are met. Most hospitals have dieticians on staff and hospice organizations also provide dietary guidance. Keeping up an adequate intake of protein and calories is often the first recommendation. Water is also important to avoid dehydration, a common problem in people with chronic and serious diseases.

Many find it useful to employ liquid or powdered meal replacements, often sold as breakfast foods in the supermarket. Smoothies and milkshakes are another way to make food easier to ingest for people who have cancer in the thoracic area. Soreness in the alimentary tract is common for mesothelioma patients who have been treated. Soft foods like cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, and oatmeal could be useful. Also, it helps to practice opportunistic eating – eat when you are feeling well enough to eat, or at least the best you typically feel during day. Social activity can help, too, as patients often eat more readily when friends are around.

Because cancer patients often have weakened immune systems, special attention should be paid to food purity and avoidance of food-born illnesses. Washing raw vegetables and your hands, as well as kitchen counters, cuts the risk of food poisoning. Be sure to cook all meat and eggs thoroughly. Undercooked eggs can cause illnesses which healthy people can fight off, but which cancer patients have greater difficulty with.