Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy affect nutritional status. Describe potential nutritional and metabolic effects of these treatments

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• Surgery can affect nutritional status in a variety of ways depending on where it is performed.
• In the case of gastric cancer, a partial or total gastrectomy increases a patient's risk for vitamin B12 deficiency.
- Calcium and iron absorption will also be reduced.
- Dumping syndrome, delayed gastric emptying, early satiety, nausea, and vomiting may also occur as a result.
• Surgery to treat intestinal cancer may cause malabsorption of nutrients and steatorrhea.
• In general, patients undergoing surgery may require additional calories and protein for wound healing.
• Radiation therapy to the head and neck area can cause the following, all which can all make consuming an adequate diet difficult:
- Mucositis
- Dysgeusia
- Xerostomia
- Dysphagia
- Odynophagia
- Severe esophagitis
• Because radiation therapy damages the epithelial cells the body's ability to digest and absorb nutrients may be impaired.
• Radiation to the abdominal and pelvic area can cause diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
• Chemotherapy greatly affects cells with a high turnover rate and thus have effects on the cells of bone marrow, the epithelial lining of the GI tract, and the hair follicles. The most common side effects include:
- Neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia
- Diarrhea
- Mucositis
- Alopecia