Find out how eating well can help during cancer treatment and recovery.
Learn more about:
- Overview
- Unproven diets
- Getting the right nutrition
- Who can help with eating and nutrition
- Taking care with special diets
Overview
Cancer and its treatment can put extra demands on the body. Eating well can help you feel as good as possible, increase energy, cope as best you can with treatment side effects, and speed up recovery.
Cancer Council recommends that most people with cancer follow the Australian Dietary Guidelines:
- Eat a wide variety from the 5 food groups – fruit, vegetables and legumes, wholegrains, meat or alternatives and dairy or alternatives.
- Limit foods high in saturated fat, added salt and added sugars.
- Avoid sugary drinks and limit alcohol.
Learn more about nutrition for people living with cancer.
While it’s best to get vitamins and minerals from eating whole foods, your doctor may sometimes recommend that you take specific supplements during and after treatment.
If you are already taking vitamins, herbs or other supplements, ask your cancer specialist whether they are safe to continue taking, and if there are any foods that could interfere with treatment or medicines.
Unproven diets
Some complementary therapies include general dietary advice, while others have their own specific eating plans. Check with your doctor before starting any diet or eating plan that suggests cutting out entire food groups.
You might also see claims (e.g. on social media) that a particular diet or way of life can cure or control cancer. However, there are no special foods, diets or vitamin and mineral supplements that have been scientifically proven to cure cancer.
Restrictive or unproven diets can be dangerous, especially for people who have cancer. Following these diets may mean that you don’t get enough energy (kilojoules/calories), protein, fat, carbohydrates, and essential vitamins and minerals. This can then affect your energy levels, cause unwanted weight loss and fatigue, and even weaken your immune system.
Getting the right nutrition
Cutting out whole food groups and losing weight can increase your risk of malnutrition, which can make it harder to cope with treatment and slow your recovery. You can become malnourished regardless of how much you weigh.
Fasting – unless it is something that your doctor has said you need to do before a test, scan or treatment – can be harmful, especially when you have cancer.
Before starting any special diet, ask your doctor, health care team and complementary therapist for advice. They can help you make safe choices and support your overall care.
Learn more at Nutrition and cancer.
Who can help with eating and nutrition
Sometimes it can be hard to eat enough. You may have trouble swallowing or eating certain foods. These health professionals can help you with any eating problems.
Dietitian
An accredited practising dietitian has a university degree in dietetics and is accredited by Dietitians Australia, the recognised peak body. They can:
- help you to meet your nutritional needs
- give you tailored advice on food and nutrition
- assist with managing side effects.
Nutritionist
- There are accredited dietitians, nutrition scientists and naturopathic nutritionists. Some accredited dietitians also use the title “nutritionist”.
- Nutritionists focus on how food affects health.
- Nutritionists working in the natural health industry should have at least a diploma of nutrition, or a similar qualification, from a university or naturopathic college.
Speech pathologist
They can suggest ways to prepare food and drink if swallowing is painful or difficult.
If you have trouble swallowing food and drink, a speech pathologist can help.
→ READ MORE: Taking care with special diets
Video: How to eat well after a cancer diagnosis
Key resource
Download a PDF booklet on this topic.
More resources
A/Prof Geraldine McDonald, Director Patient Experience and Wellbeing, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Laura Carman, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Victoria; A/Prof Christine Carrington, Senior Consultant Pharmacist Cancer Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Metro South Health and The University of Queensland, QLD; Kellie Giannarelli, Consumer; Dr Suzanne Grant, Senior Research Fellow, Integrative Oncology, NICM Health Research Institute, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Vivienne Hansen, Bush and Western Herbal Medicine Practitioner, WA; Karla Jaji, Administration Officer, Nepean Cancer and Wellness Centre, NSW; Dr Laura Kirsten, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Nepean Cancer Services, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, NSW; A/Prof Judith Lacey, Director of Supportive Care and Integrative Oncology, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Adjunct Professor Danforn Lim, Western Sydney University and University of Technology Sydney, NSW; Dr David Mizrahi, Senior Research Fellow and Accredited Exercise Physiologist, The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW; Professor Avni Sali AM, Founder and Director, National Institute of Integrative Medicine, VIC; Gillian Thompson, Consumer; A/Prof Kate Webber, Medical Oncologist, Monash Health, VIC; Tanya Wells, Integrative Oncology Consultant and Naturopath, Melbourne Integrative Oncology Group, VIC; Prof Kate White, Professor Cancer Nursing, Cancer Care Research Unit, The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW.
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