Patients suffering from pancreatic cancer require a special diet. One reason for this is that certain food components can no longer be digested due to the lack of digestive enzymes from the pancreas. The sugar metabolism is also frequently affected by the disease, and in some cases diabetes even occurs, which requires a special diet.
The lack of bile in the intestine also often leads to digestive problems, which can be at least partially prevented with special nutrition. Patients who have undergone surgery for pancreatic cancer also require special nutrition, adapted to the changed situation of the digestive organs after the operation. Which operation is performed and whether a patient can even benefit from an operation always depends on the stage of the disease.
Therefore, a corresponding nutritional recommendation should always be individually adapted by the treating physician. General attention must be paid: Due to the loss of digestive juice from the pancreas, the enzyme lipase is missing, which is essential for the splitting and digestion of fats. This enzyme should therefore be replaced by enzyme preparations, which should be taken as tablets or similar with every meal.
The dosage must be individually adapted to each patient. Even a diet based more on medium-chain fatty acids can help to prevent digestive problems and fatty stools. This results in a reduced breakdown of fats, which means that the fat-soluble vitamins can also be absorbed less easily.
To prevent vitamin deficiency (with the consequences: osteoporosis, blood clotting disorders, etc. ), the vitamins must therefore be replaced. The dosage is carried out by the treating doctor.
If part of the stomach is removed during the operation, the so-called intrinsic factor is missing and the vitamin B12 can no longer be absorbed and must therefore also be replaced. – vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin A and
- Vitamin D
Patients who have undergone major abdominal surgery for pancreatic cancer often suffer from increased acid regurgitation. An acid-blocking medication (antacid) can be given for this.
In addition, foods that are associated with increased acid formation should also be avoided (very spicy or smoked foods, etc.). An intolerance to lactose (lactose intolerance) can also occur as a result of an operation and be associated with digestive problems. In this case, large quantities of dairy products should be avoided, or products with soy milk or special lactose-free dairy products should be preferred.
If diabetes mellitus develops as a result of the operation, the patient must replace the missing hormone insulin by injections into the abdominal wall and adjust his or her diet according to the doctor’s instructions. The general rules of diabetic nutrition apply here. It is always important to prevent under- or malnutrition in all patients.
If the normal food intake cannot guarantee a sufficient energy supply, it may be necessary to supplement this with other procedures. For example, high-calorie food in the form of sip feeds (available in pharmacies) is suitable for this purpose. It is also possible to supplement the normal diet with parenteral nutrition (food that bypasses the gastrointestinal tract).
This can be done via a stomach tube or, in some cases, via an implanted port. Patients who have not undergone surgery, who are usually already in the final stages of pancreatic cancer, also show similar nutritional and digestive problems as patients who have undergone surgery. Therefore, similar recommendations to those given above apply.
Which enzymes or vitamins have to be added and whether a diabetic diet has to be followed depends on the extent of the disease and should be discussed with the treating physician. Cancer patients often complain of a loss of appetite or even nausea. These problems also occur more frequently in the context of chemotherapy or radiation.
This often leads to a too low food intake with insufficient energy supply. Therefore, everything the patient feels like doing, he is allowed to eat! Food should be beautifully prepared and offered in small intervals.
For nausea there are certain, well effective drugs and even food in small portions can help here. Patients should also sit upright when eating to prevent food from flowing back. Between meals, sufficient amounts should be drunk, but not directly during the meal, to prevent an early feeling of satiety. Herbal teas, for example, have a calming effect on the stomach and sometimes also stimulate the appetite.
