Diet and Wellbeing
Oesophageal and stomach cancer can have a significant impact in several areas, including:
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eating well/maintaining a suitable nutritious diet
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managing your weight
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mental and physical well-being.
This section is a practical guide to these potential areas of concern for patients and carers.
Specialist dietitians based at the Churchill Hospital or your local hospital should always be consulted if you have specific needs or concerns.
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It is important to remember that we are all different. Certain foods are tricky for some people, and there is no rhyme or reason to it. It can take a couple of years to learn what suits you, and how to avoid problems.
Useful external links
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Guts UK – Charity committed to fighting all digestive disorders.
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Healthtalk.org - Site providing information on what it’s really like to live with a health condition, with a particular relevant section on living-with-and-beyond-cancer
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CAN-ENPOWER is a web-resource designed and developed by the Centre or Psychosocial Research in Cancer (CentRIC) at the University of Southampton to build confidence to self-manage the psychological implications of cancer and cancer treatment. It has been designed to be used alongside clinical practice. It is aimed at adults living with and beyond cancer and is not designed for children, adolescents or people at end of life. CAN-EMPOWER supports those with less complex psychological needs. CAN-EMPOWER is free to use, is available 24-7 and requires no password. It includes:
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Information about commonly experienced psychological needs
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Advice on healthy living and its impact on psychological wellbeing
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Links to trusted sources of support, e.g. Macmillan Cancer Support, Maggies
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Stories from people with direct lived experiences of cancer
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Videos from a patient and public contributor, a clinical psychologist and an academic
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Evidence-based activities, including ACT, goal setting and diary-keeping.
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(More information about how professionals can use CAN -EMPOWER alongside their practice can be found in CAN-ENPOWER-HCP-Guide
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Better-nutrition-in-cancer - Site with several animation videos on maintaining muscle mass through the right nutrition, and exercise for cancer patients.
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Bristol Myers Squibb - a Pharma company that have created a video series designed to help people with cancer of the oesophagus or stomach, or their loved ones, understand what nutrition is, why it’s important, and how to cope with eating difficulties. This content was developed with healthcare professionals, patient advocacy groups and Heartburn cancer UK
Whilst oesophageal and stomach cancer can be life changing, it can also provide the spur to live life more enjoyably and make it a more enriching experience. The knowledge gained by us is potentially transforming and making changes that suit each of us, based on our own circumstances, can be empowering, so we hope that you gain something positive from this section.
We are eternally grateful to Liz Ward (Lead Dietitian at the Churchill Hospital) for her overview and support for this guide and part of the website, and to Dr Ed White and former patient Peter Adams for sharing their in-depth knowledge of diets through their editorial input.