Patients receiving treatment for kidney cancer need proper nutrition to help their bodies remain strong. In order to help kidney cancer patients get a better prognosis, experts form St. Stamford Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou offer 8 tips on the diet of kidney cancer:
1. No drinking. If drinking is inevitable, never more than a cup a day.
2. Weight control. Pay attention to the patient’s weight, because being overweight increases the burden of the kidney.
3. Eat less red meat. Kidney cancer patient should restrict the intake of red meat like pork, beef, mutton, as well as processed meat products like canned meat, sausage and etc. The intake of red meat should less than 90gram. For kidney cancer patients, fish and chicken are better choices.
4. Try to avoid sugary beverages. Kidney cancer patients should limit the intake of high energy density food, high energy density foods tend to include foods that are high in fat and have a low water content, for example biscuits and confectionery, crisps, peanuts, butter and cheese.
5. Eat less barbecue food. It is better for kidney cancer patients to eat steamed food, barbecue and deep-fried food shouldn’t be eaten too often!
6. Limit the intake of salt. For kidney cancer patient with poor renal function, the intake of salt should less than 5 gram per day. Food with high level of salt like salted vegetables, pickles, nori, oilseed rape, etc are not recommended.
7. Eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans. For kidney cancer patients with normal renal function, vegetable and fruits are highly recommended because they can provide vitamins. But for patients with renal insufficiency, especially patients with low urine volume (less than 500ml per day), should eat vegetable and fruits selectively. High level of potassium is presented in the serum of patients with low urine volume, so potassium-rich fruits and vegetables include leafy greens, such as spinach and collards, grapes, blackberries, carrots, potatoes and citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit should be eaten less.
8. Pay attention to dietary structure. Kidney cancer patients should eat a balance diet. The diet should consists largely of plant-based foods, a new study finds that a diet rich in plant-based foods and low-fat dairy may help decrease the risk of developing kidney stones.
*Surgery, in addition to the appropriate chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are effective in treating early cancer, but certain patients in late stage of cancer may not be tolerate surgery well as they can be relatively weak. A combination of carefully planned minimally invasive therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy can effectively reduce the side effects and discomfort of treatment and may help patient get better efficacy.