Support for Young Adults with Cancer
Health & Wellness
Young adults with cancer are currently living longer and with a better quality of life as a result of newer treatment options. As an active partner in your care, you can do your part by making smart lifestyle choices. Maintaining healthy habits may help you tolerate treatment better, lower the risk of a recurrence and help protect against secondary cancers. The benefits will help you during treatment and beyond.
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Diet and Exercise
Follow a well-balanced, heart-healthy diet. That typically includes eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, skinless poultry and fish, low-fat dairy products, nuts, legumes and non-tropical oils. You are encouraged to minimize alcohol consumption and avoid tobacco and vaping. If you need help with nutrition planning, ask your health care team for a referral to a dietitian, who can develop a personalized nutrition plan for you. Other suggestions include:
- Experiment with eating multiple small meals throughout the day rather than three big meals. This may also help with nausea.
- Identify when your appetite is the best and plan to have your biggest meal of the day at that time.
- When possible, avoid consuming added sugars, salt and saturated/trans fats. These foods provide little nutritional benefit.
- Talk to your health care team before taking any vitamins or supplements.
One of the biggest nutrition challenges you may face during treatment is loss of appetite. This side effect is common; however, when you can’t eat or don’t want to eat, you may be at risk for losing too much weight. Because a healthy diet can help you gain strength, it helps to know what to do — and what not to do.
Your body needs water to function. Staying hydrated can prevent dehydration, which can worsen some symptoms and side effects. Although daily fluid needs vary from person to person, the general recommendation is about 8 to 10 cups of water per day. If drinking enough is challenging, flavoring your water by adding lemon, lime or other fruit slices, eating more foods with high water content or drinking herbal teas may help.
Physical activity can help maintain a healthy weight and boost muscle strength and endurance. Many people think they can’t or shouldn’t exercise when they have cancer. That is not true. Any level of physical activity – even walking for 10 minutes a day – is effective for managing fatigue, maintaining a healthy weight, boosting muscle strength and endurance, and building muscle mass. Staying physically active also improves self-esteem and your mental health. Taking short walks and getting light exercise several times a week can actually increase your energy level. You can ease into a fitness regimen that fits your needs. The main goal is to avoid inactivity by doing something every day.
Sleep Hygiene
The side effects of treatment and the emotional stress of having cancer can impact the quality of your sleep. Sleep problems can occur early on during treatment. For example, people may not sleep well immediately after surgery because of pain and the unfamiliar hospital setting. Sleep may be more troublesome on actual treatment days. Many people with cancer say they cope with sleep problems for several months after treatment has ended.
Any sleep issues should be managed early, as your body needs proper rest to tolerate treatment and to heal. If drug interactions or side effects are contributing to your sleep difficulties, your doctor may review the medications you take and change some of them. Talk to your health care provider before you take any over-the-counter sleep aids, as these may interact with other medicines you take.
Non-medication strategies you can adopt at home include limiting daytime naps to 30 minutes or less, trying to get seven to nine hours of sleep, going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, limiting screen time before bed, and developing a routine to help you prepare for sleeping. Let your health care provider know if you are not getting good sleep. Fighting cancer will be challenging for your body. You will need the best rest to help you recover.
Heart Health
Because cancer treatment can compromise your heart health during or long after treatment, knowing the risks early is crucial. Ask your doctor whether a cardio-oncology consultation may make sense with your treatment plan. Although it should be scheduled as soon as possible after diagnosis, a cardiovascular assessment should not delay cancer treatment. Cardio-oncology refers to the management of heart health during cancer-related treatments. Certain cancer drugs can weaken the heart or cause abnormal rhythms. Some treatments may cause lasting damage to your heart, especially if you are at risk for heart disease.
Cardio-oncology uses a multidisciplinary team of oncologists, cardiologists, nurses and other specialists who work together to monitor and manage the effects of cancer treatment on your heart. Cardiologists assess you for potential risk of developing heart conditions if you take certain types of cancer drugs or have radiation therapy to the chest. They also closely monitor your heart throughout treatment and alert your oncologist if heart issues arise. By integrating treatments and cardiac monitoring, cardio-oncology attempts to minimize the collateral damage cancer treatment can do to the heart.
