Medical Oncology Specialist Prof. Dr. Nilüfer Avcı, who stated that the long treatment process that begins in people diagnosed with cancer brings along a number of other problems, said: “Nutrition is one of the leading problems. Exposing meat to chemical processes at very high temperatures, especially by barbecuing or boiling, increases the risk of cancer. However, during cancer treatment, meat can be cooked healthily and consumed in certain amounts.”
Stating that a person undergoing cancer treatment should pay attention to the foods they eat, experts said that these patients tend to lose weight due to the effects of treatment and disease. Stating that it is well known that the treatment and psychological state of cancer patients affect the process of the disease, Medicana Bursa Hospital Medical Oncology Specialist Prof. Dr. Nilüfer Avcı said that many factors from nutrition to exercise contribute to the process. Stating that cancer patients should pay attention to their diet first, Avcı said that especially saturated fats and high-calorie diets cause both obesity and many types of cancer. Stating that monounsaturated fats are less related to cancer, Avcı pointed out that this group of fats are found in olive oil, avocado, peanuts, fish and walnuts. Avcı said, “Studies have shown that the risk of colon, prostate and stomach cancer increases in people who consume too much meat. Exposing meat to chemical processes at very high temperatures, especially barbecued or boiled, increases the risk of cancer. However, during cancer treatment, meat can be cooked healthily and consumed in certain quantities. It is not possible to restrict it completely. Although there is no direct correlation between sugar intake and increased cancer risk, consuming foods with a lot of sugar and sweeteners causes weight gain. Weight gain can also trigger cancer.
Beware of vitamin medications
Stating that the risk of stomach and intestinal cancer has been shown to decrease with the consumption of vegetables and fruits, Avcı said, “2-3 servings of vegetables and 1-2 servings of fruits are recommended daily in cancer patients. Since it is not known which vegetables and fruits are more protective, it is recommended to consume all vegetables and fruits. Moderate physical activity improves fatigue, muscle strength, cardiovascular health and the patient's mental state. Quality of life improves. Depending on the patient's condition and stage of the disease, physical activity is also recommended during cancer treatment to the extent recommended by the doctor. The patient should not take vitamin medication unless the doctor recommends it. Unnecessary vitamin use can be harmful. Quality nutrition is recommended. The immune system is weak during chemotherapy. For this reason, it is very important to keep cancer patients clean to prevent infection.”
Referring to the drugs used in treatment, Avcı said, “Actually, when we say chemotherapy, we are not talking about a single drug. A group of drugs called cytotoxics were first used in chemotherapy. These cytotoxics are grouped according to their mechanisms of action. Therefore, the side effects of each drug are different as well as the mechanism of action. These side effects are seen in different degrees of severity in relation to the patient's body resistance. Cytotoxic drugs affect cancer cells that have the ability to multiply and divide rapidly. However, normal cells that are capable of dividing rapidly can also be affected during treatment. This can cause symptoms such as hair loss, anemia, mouth sores, nausea, diarrhea and constipation. Some chemotherapy drugs can also cause side effects in the heart, kidney, lung and nervous system.
“There are smart drugs now”
Stating that cancer cells have different properties than normal cells, Avcı said, “Drugs that recognize these properties found only in cancer cells and aim to destroy cancer cells are called smart drugs (targeted). Smart drugs are divided according to their mechanism of action and molecular structure. The aim of treatment with these drugs is to kill more cancer cells without harming normal cells. Today, with the advances in modern medicine, we are able to identify the biological characteristics of cancer cells. According to these characteristics, we use more targeted drugs.”
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