Chemotherapy is a treatment modality given to treat cancer cells, explains Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute.
She also says this treatment is usually done via a port or some kind of a catheter that is put into the patient, and then, it is infused with a medication that kills the cancer cells, and also the healthy cells.
The specialist affirms the third day after treatment, the patient can experience fatigue. Nutrition and hydration are very important in order to avoid the toxicity of chemo and radiotherapy.
“Drinking enough fluids is a natural way of flushing the body out of all these toxicities,” describes Carla Araya, Registered Dietitian with Miami Cancer Institute, and also advises a healthy diet, because it helps with the treatment toxicity.
Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program at the same place, says physicians take each patient individually and then they decide the treatment and if there is something that has to be adjusted for each one. The survivorship program is a program that specialists have at the Miami Cancer Institute, where the patients that are diagnosed with cancer stages one, two or three, within about three years of their date of diagnosis, are seen and they’re evaluated by physicians.
Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute, describes they teach patients about things that can occur later on life and how to keep themselves healthy to prevent cancer recurrence.
She adds they can see patients with stage four neck cancer and lymphomas. Anti-inflammatory diet is just where the patient incorporates foods that help with inflammation, such as dark green leafy vegetables and dark berries.
Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute, says It’s important to be careful with people that have inflammatory problems like celiac or Crohn’s disease.
Ginelle Ruffa, Fitness Trainer & Health Coach talks about how she can help people to battle with cancer and recover too. Radiation has similar side effects than chemotherapy, affirms Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute.
With radiation treatment, one thing that must be taken into account is the area where the radiation will be made, because the side effects will feel more intense in that place, describes Carla Araya, Registered Dietitian at the same place. Chemotherapy is a treatment that is used to kill cancer cells, says Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute.
There are different modalities that are used: pills or IV. It depends on the type of cancer the patient has and the treatment that is chosen by his oncologist, she explains.
The side effects of chemo can be: nauseous, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation and weight change, adds Carla Araya, Registered Dietitian with Miami Cancer Institute.
But, nowadays there are a lot of medications that counterbalance those side effects. Depending on the area where the cancer is, the appropriate treatment is applied: radiation, surgery or chemotherapy, and can cause different types of side effects, says Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute.
Besides of the side effects, the treatment can affect different body parts as well as can cause a feeling of some invasion into the patient’s private body. “You know the medical professionals are there to help you, but, at the same time, it is an invasion of your personal space. So that creates a lot of psychological issues as well,” she says.
How healthy the patients are where they are diagnosed is also important, affirms Carla Araya, Registered Dietitian at the same place. Besides not smoking, one of the main thing in order to prevent a risk of cancer is a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating healthy, maintaining a healthy weight, because the 20% of cancer diagnosed is linked to lack of diet or obesity, affirms Carla Araya, Registered Dietitian with Miami Cancer Institute, who also says eating healthy is really important.
Survivorship physicians spend a lot of time with patients and discuss all the issues about the cancer so it doesn’t recur. Diet and exercise are the main topics they talk about, because diet can be a risk factor for recurrence, says Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute. Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute, explains how they apply screening procedures in that clinic.
She says they talk to the patients about the things they need and can order screening procedures.
The screening age is 45 instead of 50, she adds. Chemotherapy is a treatment modality given to treat cancer cells, explains Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute.
She also says this treatment is usually done via a port or some kind of a catheter that is put into the patient, and then, it is infused with a medication that kills the cancer cells, and also the healthy cells.
The specialist affirms the third day after treatment, the patient can experience fatigue. Radiation is something given to the body where certain cells are killed through a beam modality, describes Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute.
Depending on the type of cancer, the treatment does not require a surgery, but rather radiation. It targets a specific area, she explains.
The specialist affirms physicians give boosts also to little areas to help target an area where the cancer usually returns There are several ways to administer chemotherapy to a patient: a pill to swallow, an intravenous injection into the muscle or fat tissue, and applied topically, explains Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute.
Side effects depend on the type of medication the patient receives.
The method is evaluated by the doctor and depending on the type of cancer the patient has, the specialist prescribes treatment. Anti-inflammatory diet is just where the patient incorporates foods that help with inflammation, such as dark green leafy vegetables and dark berries.
Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute, says it’s important to be careful with people that have inflammatory problems like celiac or Crohn’s disease.
Ginelle Ruffa, Fitness Trainer & Health Coach talks about how she can help people to battle with cancer and recover too. Immunotherapy is a therapy that is used to target a very specific cell.
The side effects of immunotherapy can be the same as from any other treatment. Any cancer treatment can give patients a lot of the same side effects, affirms Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute.
Immunotherapy for cancer depends on several factors, explains the specialist. The survivorship program is a program that specialists have at the Miami Cancer Institute, where the patients that are diagnosed with cancer stages one, two or three, within about three years of their date of diagnosis, are seen and they’re evaluated by physicians.
Alicia Soler-Cancio, Advanced Practice Provider for the Survivorship Program with Miami Cancer Institute, describes they teach patients about things that can occur later on life and how to keep themselves healthy to prevent cancer recurrence.
She adds they can see patients with stage four neck cancer and lymphomas. Carla Araya, Registered Dietitian with Miami Cancer Institute, recommends having a lot of hydration, eating three times a day, eating protein in those meals and having enough calories in order to battle the fatigue caused by chemotherapy.
She also advises staying active, doing exercises such as walking, because exercise and healthy food are hand-in-hand. She affirms doing small frequent meals and cold drinking also help.
About nausea, the specialist suggests avoiding greasy, spicy and heavy foods, also foods with strong smells. Phytonutrients are found in vegetables, fruits, spices. They give the color and the stronger the color is, the more nutrients It’s going to have, says Carla Araya, Registered Dietitian with Miami Cancer Institute.
Purple food has antioxidants, and they have cancer-fighter properties. Fruits and vegetables like grapes, berries and purple cabbage, among others, have a lot of anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory substances, and protect brain and cells. “The more variety and the more colors are on a plate, the better it is,” she says.
The expert also advises avoiding sugar, because it contributes with obesity and It’s empty calories.
