Nutrition for metastatic prostate cancer

Diet for prostate cancer: principles of nutrition, useful and prohibited foods, sample menu

Prostate tumor often appears in people who have reached middle or advanced age. It can take a long time to develop. There are different ways to deal with the disease. Treatment involves surgery, radiation therapy, drugs. Diet for prostate cancer is also of great importance.

The importance of proper diet

Prostate tumor develops under the influence of various reasons. Among the factors that provoke the disease are:

• Hormon imbalance.
• Heredity.
• Old age.
• Poor environmental conditions.
• Working with chemicals.
• Benign neoplasms of the prostate.
• Exposure to harmful radiation.
• Smoking, alcohol abuse.

• Wrong diet.

In these states, people consume a lot of fast food, meat and dairy products. For the inhabitants of the Mediterranean, on the contrary, such a disease is rare. This fact is explained by the fact that fish, vegetables, fruits and berries predominate in their diet. Such information allows us to conclude that nutrition plays a significant role in the formation of tumors. Diet for Prostate cancer is an important component of therapy. A well-composed diet helps to reduce the likelihood of the spread of the pathological process.

General advice

Patients suffering from prostate cancer should remember the following rules:

• You need to include lean fish and seafood in your diet. This food contains lipids that are easily digestible.
• Refuse animal fats, margarine, fast food.

• Eat enough fresh fruits, berries, nut kernels and vegetables.
• Take supplements containing vitamins B, E and C, folic acid.
• Refuse drinks that contain caffeine. Drink green tea.
• Avoid products containing artificial additives.

Why does the patient need to change the diet?

The prostate cancer diet aims to achieve the following goals:

• Reducing the activity of pathological cells.
• Quick recovery of the body after radiation therapy sessions, surgery, taking heavy medications.

• Improvement of the immune system.
• Maintaining good health.
• Prevention of tumor growth.

The diet for prostate cancer is compiled by a specialist. When choosing a diet, factors such as the age category, the characteristics of the prescribed therapy, and the stage of development of the pathological process are taken into account. The doctor should give the necessary recommendations immediately after confirming the diagnosis. After all, if a person eats improperly, his condition will worsen significantly, and the treatment will not lead to the desired result.

Foods to Avoid

An unbalanced diet does not necessarily lead to the development of cancer. However, the patient must remember that the diet after prostate cancer should not be short-term, but permanent. If you do not change your eating habits once and for all, the disease may return again, despite the treatment. The diet of the patient at any stage of the pathology, during and after therapy, involves the exclusion of the following products:

To restore the body after therapy and reduce the likelihood of complications, you need to adhere to the restrictions indicated in the diet. The table for prostate cancer is indicated by number 5. Such a diet involves a minimum amount of salt and lipids.

Which foods are good for patients?

However, too severe dietary restrictions for patients are undesirable. Moreover, for a quick recovery, the body needs certain vitamins and minerals. Patients are advised to include the following foods in their diet:

• Skinny varieties of fish and poultry. It is useful to use sardines, pink salmon, mackerel, which contain fatty acids.
• Tomato dishes. This product contains substances that prevent the development of cancer pathologies.

• All varieties of cabbage (white, red, cauliflower, broccoli).
• Olive oil, which contains vitamin E. It should be used as a salad dressing.
• Carrot dishes. This vegetable contains carotene, which accelerates the recovery process of the patient's body.
• Nut kernels. They contain beneficial lipids.
• Parsley, dill, lettuce.
• Low-fat dairy products (cottage cheese, yogurt, milk). The composition of such products includes proteins, which are also necessary for the patient.
• Grape juice or red wine, which contains substances that prevent the development of tumors.
• Mushroom dishes.
• Green tea (it contains antioxidants).
• Citrus fruits (lemons, oranges, grapefruits, tangerines), as well as mangoes. Such fruits are rich in vitamin C. It has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the immune system.

Nutrition rules for the second stage of the disease

The diet in this case should be designed in such a way as to reduce the activity of pathological cells and prevent the risk of metastases. If the patient does not adhere to the necessary advice, his condition deteriorates sharply. The diet for prostate cancer grade 2 is based on the following rules:

Features of the diet in the third stage of the disease

In this situation, the patient will not be able to completely defeat the pathology. However, it is necessary to reduce the severity of the consequences of the disease. The diet for prostate cancer of the 3rd degree is compiled taking into account the peculiarities of the course of therapy that the man is undergoing.

The menu is based on the following principles:

How to eat in the fourth stage of pathology?

This stage of development of a cancerous tumor is considered the most difficult. The patient's body becomes sensitive and reacts even to minor changes. The specialist must carefully select the diet for such patients. The diet for prostate cancer grade 4 is based on the following principles:

If the patient's health worsens during the diet, he is not recommended to correct it on his own. You must first consult with your doctor. Vitamin supplements should also not be taken without the permission of a specialist.

Features of nutrition during chemotherapy

During treatment, patients experience such unpleasant phenomena as loss of appetite, taste of metal in the mouth. In addition, medications provoke bouts of vomiting, loose stools. The diet for prostate cancer during chemotherapy courses involves the use of sour fruit drinks and juices. Such drinks improve the functioning of the digestive tract, increase appetite. In addition, honey, sweet-tasting fruits, dried fruits, and low-fat milkshakes should be included in the diet. On the day of taking medication, the patient should consume a sufficient amount of liquid and meals, which include proteins.

Proper nutrition during treatment with hormonal drugs

Means of this kind are often recommended to patients to reduce the likelihood of neoplasm growth. Medications reduce the production of testosterone. The Diet for prostate cancer during hormone therapy involves the rejection of milk and red meat, as these foods increase the production of this substance. The patient is advised to consume more greens, fruits, berries, nut kernels, salads.

You should include foods containing selenium, B vitamins in your diet. You should take special supplements as directed by your doctor.

Diet during radiotherapy

This treatment can lead to increased urine output. In the event of such a side effect, the following types of food should be excluded:

Should be included in the diet:

Diet after surgery

Removal of the neoplasm is an important component of the treatment of patients with a malignant tumor. Proper nutrition during the rehabilitation period helps the patient not only recover quickly, but also prevent the recurrence of the disease. The diet after prostate cancer surgery is to eat the following foods:

Do I need to adjust my diet while recovering from prostate cancer? The diet recommended by experts should be based on the Mediterranean diet.

It consists in the use of a sufficient amount of cereals, fish dishes, vegetables and fruits, vegetable lipids (olive oil, nut kernels). Red meat, butter, dairy products should be limited.

Approximate diet for the day

This sample menu was designed by experts. The patient can slightly change it to his liking. It is only important not to violate the prohibitions. Only approved foods for prostate cancer should be present in the diet.

In the morning, dried fruits or nut kernels with juice, compote or water are recommended. A little later, you can eat a meal of cereals with tea or steamed rice grits and a fish cutlet.

During the day, the first course based on vegetables or beans is allowed. As a drink, a decoction of herbs is used. For the second, fish with herbs and salad is recommended.

The afternoon snack consists of a low-fat fermented milk product in the amount of 150 g. You can replace it with juice with biscuits or a handful of dried fruits with tea.

In the evening, you should eat stewed vegetables and boiled chicken. In addition, compote with crackers is recommended for dinner.

Diet after removal of the prostate for cancer, as well as the correct diet during the period of drug use, is an important condition for a quick recovery and a better effect from therapy courses. We should not forget that the use of healthy products helps to avoid relapse and prolong the patient's life even in the later stages of the disease.

Effective diet for prostate cancer, diet

Prostate cancer in oncology is considered one of the most common urological diseases. Most often it appears in males over 45 years of age. In the early stages, prostate cancer can be completely asymptomatic. Most often, it can be detected at a more severe stage, when only supportive therapy can be used. In this regard, doctors recommend that all males undergo a comprehensive examination. Also, as a preventive measure, all men are advised to follow a special diet. A diet for prostate cancer will help to avoid the appearance of such an unpleasant ailment as prostate cancer.

What should be the diet for prostate cancer

It should be remembered that a diet for prostate cancer is compiled only by a specialist, taking into account the course of the disease and the individual characteristics of the patient. All men should understand that the changes made to their diet are very important and are not short-term. They will need to be adhered to for a long period of time.

Do not forget that nutrition for prostate cancer should be balanced and complete. This will help reduce the risk of developing an oncological process, as well as reduce the activity of the spread of an existing disease. Scientists have proven that the daily consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as the complete rejection of fatty foods, helps to reduce the activity of the spread of the oncological process.

In addition, experts note that all men suffering from prostate cancer should follow certain recommendations:

The next step involves completely eliminating foods containing dyes and preservatives from the diet.

Following all of the above recommendations will help reduce the activity of cancer cells. In addition, experts recommend that all people spend more time outdoors.

All patients should remember that the diet for prostate cancer is selected by a specialist depending on the severity of the disease.

The specialist also takes into account such features as age, height and the course of treatment prescribed by the doctor. It is noteworthy that a diet for prostate cancer should be developed immediately after a comprehensive examination and diagnosis. This is due to the fact that delay can adversely affect the overall health of the patient.

Diet for prostate cancer grade 2

A properly formulated diet will help reduce the activity of cancer cells and eliminate the likelihood of metastases. It is noteworthy that if the patient does not adhere to a special diet, this may adversely affect his general state of health.

Specialists recommend following the following diet for stage 2 prostate cancer:

Balanced menu for grade 3 prostate cancer

With oncology of the 3rd degree, it is important to understand that it will not be possible to completely get rid of the disease and all therapy, including nutrition, is aimed at reducing the consequences of the development of the cancer process. Also, when developing the menu, the course of treatment that was prescribed to the patient is necessarily taken into account.

The menu for grade 3 cancer includes:

• lean fish and white meat
• eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits;
• foods rich in vitamins A, C, E;
• Various oils should be the most important components of any meal. This is due to the fact that the oil contains a large amount of vitamins and antioxidants;
• Sour-milk and dairy products should be consumed during meals. It is important to remember that the percentage of fat in them should be minimal;
• For breakfast, you should eat cereals from whole grains.

Specialists also recommend that in case of prostate cancer of the 3rd degree, the patient should monitor calcium levels in the blood every day. This is due to the fact that it is calcium that contributes to the rapid reproduction of cancer cells. For control, it is recommended to donate blood for analysis. It is important to remember that if the calcium level in the blood is too high, it is recommended to reduce the intake of foods containing a large amount of calcium.

It is also recommended to pay great attention to the drinks that a person consumes. Doctors recommend giving preference to herbal infusions, natural juices and green tea, as well as homemade fruit drinks and compotes.It is noteworthy that they help get rid of problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Allowed foods for grade 4 prostate cancer

This stage of the disease is considered by experts to be the most difficult and dangerous for human health. This is due to the fact that the human body is very vulnerable, and can react sharply to any changes in the usual way of life. A low-carbohydrate diet for a person with grade 4 prostate cancer is selected by a specialist with great care.

Low carb diet for grade 4 cancer:

In the event that a person has disorders in the digestive system, it is recommended to stop eating dairy products and foods high in salt. To fix the stool, it is recommended to boil rice, as well as eat more foods containing protein.

Most patients believe that consuming a large amount of vitamins and mineral complexes will help stop the cancer process. However, this is not quite true. They can have a beneficial effect on the patient's body only if they are selected by an experienced specialist.

It is noteworthy that if the patient's condition worsens during proper nutrition, then it is not recommended to adjust the diet on your own.

Sample menu for prostate cancer of any stage

Specialists have developed an approximate diet, which is recommended for every person to follow. It includes:

• For breakfast, it is recommended to drink 1 glass of water and eat a handful of nuts and dried fruits. Water can be replaced with juice. Instead of dried fruits, you can eat an apple or a pear, as well as any other fruit.
• For a second breakfast, you can drink a cup of tea or eat cereal porridge. You can also eat steamed rice with steamed fish cake. You can complete the second breakfast with mint tea. Meals may also include a light salad and tea with crackers.
• For lunch, it is recommended to eat soup with vegetables, beans and a light salad. As a second course, there can be fish with vegetables. It is recommended to drink tea or herbal decoction.
• For an afternoon snack, it is recommended to consume dairy and sour-milk products with a minimum fat content. It is noteworthy that about 150 grams should be consumed. You can replace dairy products with natural juice or yogurt with cookies. You can also eat a handful of nuts and dried fruits and drink tea.
• For dinner, the recommended foods are beans, stewed zucchini, various vegetables and boiled chicken meat. It is recommended to drink tea with cookies.

It is important to remember that following all the rules will help not only reduce the activity of cancer cells and reduce unpleasant symptoms. Also, the diet will help reduce the effects of cancer and increase the life expectancy of the patient.

It is noteworthy that all recommendations on proper nutrition are recommended not only for men suffering from prostate cancer, but also for all healthy people as a prevention of this unpleasant disease.

Informative video

Features of the diet for prostate cancer

The treatment of many diseases is accompanied by an appropriate diet. And with a malignant neoplasm of the prostate, it is also important, although the main part of the treatment is medicines and operations. Despite the fact that in each case the diet will be individual, in this article we will look at proper nutrition for prostate cancer.

Goal of diet for prostate cancer

During the treatment of any oncological disease, the human body works for wear and tear: a growing tumor takes resources from the organ, metabolism is disturbed, and during radiation and chemotherapy, a large number of body cells simply die. All this requires a large amount of resources to maintain forces. Some of them in the hospital can be covered by intravenous infusions (from simple glucose to special solutions of amino acids), but most still have to come from the food eaten. Therefore, the primary task of the diet is to provide the maximum amount of nutrients and exclude the intake of harmful ones.

Numerous studies of the development of prostate cancer have shown that men with excessive body weight and high levels of cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins in the blood are prone to this disease. Also, a certain role in the development of the malignant process of the prostate is played by an increase in the content of calcium in the blood. Therefore, the main goal of the diet in this disease is to minimize fat and calcium in the daily diet

Common dietary guidelines

Nutrition for prostate cancer at each stage has its own characteristics. To avoid confusion, we will consider each individual stage and the appropriate diet for it, with its amendments.

The first stage is asymptomatic, is determined only by histological examination of the prostate tissue and is detected extremely rarely. After all, what healthy person would go for a biopsy of the prostate against the background of complete well-being? It is for this reason that few people start both a diet and drug treatment at the first stage. In general, the diet for stage 2 prostate cancer is completely suitable for the first.

The second stage is visualized by ultrasound, accompanied by an increase in specific prostatic antigen (hereinafter referred to as PSA) in the blood and minimal symptoms - frequent and painful urination (including at night), sexual dysfunction, discomfort in the inguinal zone. The tumor is localized within the prostate, there are no metastases, and if it is at this stage that treatment begins, the prognosis is quite favorable.

The diet of the second stage of the disease eliminates cottage cheese, replaces fried meat with boiled meat, black tea with green tea, and adds fresh fruits and vegetables to the diet. It is recommended to drink grape juice at least once a week, as it contains a large amount of B vitamins, magnesium and specific acids, which are necessary for normal metabolism in the entire urinary system.

The third stage is characterized by the growth of the tumor outside the gland. Unfortunately, most often the disease is diagnosed at this stage. diet for prostate cancer grade 3 adjusts to treatment. It retains the principles of the second stage, but tightens its conditions. Dairy products are completely excluded (there are some exceptions, which will be discussed in a separate section). Oil - only olive oil, as it contains a large amount of essential antioxidants and vitamins and lacks low-density lipoproteins. During radiation and chemotherapy with reduced appetite, the emphasis is on sour juices and fruit drinks.

Against the background of therapy with drugs that inhibit bone resorption, the diet also provides for the exclusion of calcium-containing foods. But all this should be controlled by a regular blood test for calcium

At the fourth stage of prostate cancer, metastases occur in distant organs - the liver, bones, lungs, etc. Therefore, nutrition in stage 4 prostate cancer has its own characteristics, depending on the affected organs and systems. The emphasis is on frequent meals in small portions - at least five times a day. Patients with stage 4 cancer are prone to diarrhea, so dairy products are still prohibited. Salt intake is minimized. Nutrition is based on proteins, minerals, vitamins and a small amount of carbohydrates. Therefore, liquid rice water, fruits, vegetables, compotes and fruit drinks are the basis of the diet of such a patient.

Special attention requires nutrition for prostate cancer with bone metastases. The problem is that bone metastases provoke an excessive release of calcium from the bone tissue into the bloodstream. This does not affect the growth of metastases and the primary tumor, but can lead to dangerous consequences that are not directly related to oncological pathology, such as muscle weakness, muscle pain, the occurrence of calcium stones in the kidneys and gallbladder.

Recommended products

If you highlight the necessary foods for prostate cancer at any stage, you get a rather limited list:

• fresh fruits and vegetables;
• boiled meat and fish;
• olive oil;
• compotes, fruit drinks, green tea, grape juice;
• rice porridge.

Products to Avoid

Foods that are excluded from the diet at 3-4 stages, and limited to 1-2:

• dairy products (cottage cheese - at all stages;
• fatty meat and fish;
• baking and confectionery;
• sunflower, linseed and butter;
• strong black tea.

Dairy products for prostate cancer

Although dairy products are severely restricted due to their high calcium content, some patients consume them for constipation. The diet for constipation in prostate cancer depends on the cause. If there is no stool due to squeezing the intestines by an overgrown prostate, fermented milk products will not help, but will only aggravate the situation. If there are functional bowel problems, the doctor allows the patient to consume a small amount of low-fat kefir. The treatment will also include high-fiber foods, microenemas and laxatives.

Fasting for prostate cancer

Therapeutic fasting (voluntary refusal of food and sometimes water) is highly discouraged by most doctors, especially during cancer treatment. The body must receive the necessary elements for normal functioning. Starvation will not prevent the tumor from growing into neighboring cells, but the body needs resources to fight the disease.

Diet during radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapy for prostate cancer

Such radical methods of treatment as radiation therapy and chemotherapy introduce more severe conditions into the patient's regimen. First, the use of alcohol, coffee and tobacco products is completely excluded. Both methods cause an aversion to food in most patients, but this should not lead to a complete rejection of it. Appetite can be stimulated with honey, nuts, decoctions. Fluids need to be consumed more to reduce the need to administer it intravenously. During chemotherapy, you need to eat in small portions and at least 5-6 times a day, so as not to overstrain the body. Food restrictions are dictated by the same diet for prostate cancer - no fat, no dairy, etc. The emphasis is on pectin, proteins and vitamins.

Nutrition during radiation therapy of the prostate is not much different from nutrition during chemotherapy. Local irradiation of the prostate does not affect the body so much, but the appetite also sometimes has to be stimulated, the need for large volumes of fluid also remains. It is necessary to exclude legumes, mushrooms and cabbage, which irritate the intestines.

There are also no special exceptions during hormone therapy. Under the control of calcium levels in the blood, cheese or kefir can sometimes be allowed.

Diet after prostate surgery

Nutrition after removal of the prostate for cancer makes certain changes in the overall diet of the patient. And these changes cannot be ignored. Surgical intervention always dictates its own conditions for the regime of the day and diet, associated with anesthesia, the characteristics of the organism and the method of operation.

Despite the fact that operations to remove the prostate do not cause much harm to the gastrointestinal tract, the diet after the operation also has its own nuances. Like any other surgical intervention, removal of the prostate gland is impossible without blood loss, even with the current level of medicine. In the early postoperative period, nutrition, as well as treatment, is aimed at restoring hemoglobin levels and circulating blood volume. Therefore, at this stage, you need to consume more fluids, proteins and vitamins.

It doesn't matter if the patient has stage 2 or 4 cancer, nutrition after prostate cancer removal surgery retains all the principles of the diet. If the prostate gland is removed at the second stage of cancer, without metastases, this is not a reason to immediately run for fast food. During the rehabilitation period, it is also necessary to adhere to an adequate water regime, to consume a minimum of fat. Dairy products should also be used with caution, although there are no such serious contraindications for calcium. The diet after removal of prostate cancer also implies minimal salt intake.

Sample menu for the day

So, the general information is known, but let's move on to more specific examples. For breakfast, a patient with a Prostate tumor can eat boiled eggs, unsalted porridge or boiled meat. You can drink green tea. Before lunch, you can have a snack with fresh fruits, such as bananas, apples or tangerines. You can dine with low-fat soup or broth, eat the same meat or fish. You can drink juice. For an afternoon snack, you can again eat fruit or cookies. Dinner - boiled potatoes with meat, waffles and green tea.

Conclusion

The diet for prostate cancer is not particularly limited. Less fatty and salty - these are generally accepted recommendations even for a healthy person. Skimping on sweets is also helpful advice for most people. The restriction of dairy products is already the specificity of the diet for prostate cancer. But against the background of such a serious disease, this is not the biggest problem. During treatment with radiation and chemotherapy, it is more difficult to eat. But it must be remembered that an adequate diet is a significant contribution to the victory over the disease.