Breast Cancer Awareness & Cancer Nutrition Education

The Senior Dietetics students in the Coordinated Program organized and carried out an event for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The event took place in the cafeteria of Howard University Hospital (HUH) where staff members and patients had the opportunity to get information on healthy eating for breast cancer, breast cancer prevention, detection, and treatment, and other general nutritional tips.

If a patient with cancer is experiencing anorexia (poor appetite), the following strategies might help:

- Encourage small, more frequent nutrient dense meals and snacks

- Recommend adding protein and calories to their favorite foods

- Recommend use of protein and calorie-containing supplements (e.g., whey or soy powder, nutritional supplements)

- Keep nutrient dense foods (high fat and/or high protein) close at hand and snack frequently

- Advise the person to capitalize on eating at times when feeling their best

- Recommend eating meals and snacks in a pleasant atmosphere

- Suggest viewing eating as part of treatment

- Encourage activities of dialing living and physical activity as able (If cleared by your medical doctor)

If a patient with cancer is experiencing nausea and vomiting, the following strategies might help:

- Recommend eating small, more frequent meals and snacks

- Suggest sipping on cool or room temperature liquids in small amounts

- Advise the avoidance of high-fat, greasy, spicy, or overly sweet foods

- Advise the avoidance of foods with strong odors

- Encourage the consumption of bland, soft, easy-to-digest foods on scheduled treatment days

- Encourage compliance with medications that are prescribed to control nausea

Patients receiving immunosuppressive therapies such as hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) need to practice safe food handing techniques. Below, are some tips to improve food safety:

- Avoid foods that contain unsafe levels of bacteria (raw meats, spoiled or moldy foods, and unpasteurized beverages)

- Thoroughly wash your hands for at least 30 seconds

- Special handling of raw meats, game, poultry and eggs, utensils, cutting boards and countertops

- Thoroughly wash all fresh fruits and vegetables before eating

- “When in doubt, throw out,” and “No oldy or moldy.”

- Avoid untested well water

More information can be found here: (https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/resources/nutrition-care-ebook/). This booklet can also be emailed to you and/or your office by following the instructions on the website.