Many patients want to know how they can improve their general health in order to help their body's natural defenses fight the cancer. They may also want to speed up their recovery from the side effects of radiation.

Smoking

For patients who still smoke, it's never too late to quit. Studies show that people with some types of cancer who keep smoking during and after treatment are at greater risk of the cancer coming back and of new cancers forming. Smoking can increase many side effects, too. It can also reduce appetite at a time when extra nutrition is needed. For help with quitting smoking, please see our Guide to Quitting Smoking.

Diet

A balanced diet is important. You may need to avoid certain foods because of your treatment, but it's important to eat foods high in calories to provide enough energy for healing. If you're having trouble getting enough nutrition or are worried about what types of food you should be eating, ask your doctor about a referral to a dietitian. You may also want to see our document, Nutrition for the Person with Cancer: A Guide for Patients and Families.

Patients should check with their doctors before taking any vitamins on their own during radiation treatment. Certain vitamins, such as A, E, and C act as antioxidants. They prevent the formation of ions that damage DNA in cells. This damage is thought to have an important role in causing cancer. There is some evidence that getting enough of these vitamins may help reduce the risk of getting some types of cancer. But during treatment, radiation therapy works to fight cancer by producing ions that severely damage the DNA of cancer cells. Some scientists believe that taking high doses of antioxidant vitamins during treatment may make radiation therapy less effective by reducing this damage to cancer cells. So far, studies have not fully tested this theory. While this is being researched, many radiation oncologists recommend the following:

• If your doctor has not prescribed vitamins for a specific reason, it is best not to take any on your own.

• A single multivitamin tablet each day is most likely OK for patients who want to take a vitamin supplement, but check with your doctor first.

• It is safest to avoid taking high doses of antioxidant vitamins during treatment. Ask your doctors when it might be safe to start such vitamins after treatment is finished.

Go back to Radiation Principles.

Last Medical Review: 07/17/2009
Last Revised: 07/17/2009