The success of radiotherapy depends on the cooperation of the patient and the physician. During radiation therapy, patients should cooperate with their doctors to prevent complications, adjust their diet to enhance nutrition, and pay attention to follow-up visits to watch for abnormal manifestations.
Cooperation with radiation therapy
After determining the extent of exposure (radiation field), the doctor will mark the patient’s skin with paint, and the patient should avoid rubbing off the mark. If it is accidentally washed off, tell the doctor at the next radiation treatment and do not redraw it yourself to avoid positioning bias.
During radiation therapy, patients should not move their bodies after the physician has positioned them and should maintain the correct position until the end of radiation therapy. If you feel discomfort during radiotherapy, the patient can tell the doctor through the intercom and should not change the position at will.
Preventing complications
Patients may experience complications such as skin redness, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea during radiation therapy. The following points can help in dealing with these complications:
- Take regular blood tests, usually once a week, as prescribed by your doctor during radiation therapy;
- Tell your doctor if you have nausea or vomiting, and use antiemetics as directed by your doctor;
- Eat foods that are easy to digest, such as rice and noodles, and avoid foods that are too hot or too hard;
- Eat foods that are easy to digest, such as rice and noodles, and avoid foods that are too hot or too hard;
- Use gastric mucosal protective agents, such as magnesium aluminum carbonate, etc., under the guidance of a doctor;
- Keep a good mood and consult a psychiatrist if necessary.
Nutritional support
Patients are weaker during radiation therapy and timely nutritional supplementation is especially important. The following are recommended for dietary reference:
- Overall, the diet should be non-stimulating, easily digestible, nutritious, and with many small meals. Patients should limit the intake of high-fiber foods (bran, corn, soy, oats, celery, bamboo shoots, etc.), and if severely malnourished or unable to eat, physicians will typically give high nutritional support via IV.
- If vomiting occurs, a light, less oily diet is recommended. A small amount of ginger may be added to the dish to flavor it, and try to avoid foods that have a bad taste.
- If diarrhea and bloating occur, a diet high in protein, high in calories, high in potassium, low in fat, low in sugar, and low in residue is recommended. Avoid irritating foods and eat more soft and fluffy foods. Patients with diarrhea may eat foods high in potassium (e.g., kelp, nori, bananas, cinnamon, etc.), and when diarrhea is particularly severe, they should usually eat a liquid diet first.
- If the examination during radiotherapy reveals a decrease in white blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin, the patient’s diet should also be enhanced to improve immunity, with appropriate high-protein foods such as chicken, duck and meat, as well as foods containing more iron such as animal offal, spinach, celery, apricots and peaches.
Monitoring follow-up
During radiation therapy, the doctor will usually check the patient at the time of treatment to watch for adverse effects. Usually, the doctor will recommend testing blood work once a week. They are also reviewed 1 month after treatment.
After surgery and treatment, patients are followed up over time, usually every 6 months for the first 3 years and then annually up to 5 years after surgery. Follow-up may include physical exams, blood tests (tumor markers, etc.), H. pylori, weight monitoring, CT, etc.
Patients should visit the hospital at any time during and after radiotherapy if abnormalities are detected. (Contributed by Junhua Zhao, Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University)