If you have a cancer diagnosis, then the needs of your body are greater. This is due to the cancer itself, as well as the treatment. Good nutrition is important during treatment, and in the recovery period. Good nutrition focuses on having adequate protein and energy. That way you can keep your weight and your strength. You can also help to reduce side effects and speed up recovery. Once you have recovered from any treatment, the focus of good nutrition shifts. At this point it goes back to following a healthy, well-balanced diet and lifestyle.
There are many high-quality resources available. These can help guide your nutritional needs at these different time points.
The Victorian Cancer Malnutrition Collaborative (VCMC)
The VCMC is our program of work that aims to help people with cancer and malnutrition. They have helpful nutritional guides and tools listed below. The VCMC webpage has more information and resources available.
- The CanEAT pathway is a nutritional guide for people with cancer and their carers
- The Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) helps you learn more about your weight and the food you eat
- Download the PDF fact sheet CanEat pathway and MST
Peter Mac Nutrition and Speech Pathology Department
Downloadable nutritional PDF info sheets
- Nourishing diet
- Nourishing vegetarian diet
- Bringing food from home
- Good nutrition in the chemotherapy day unit
Cancer Council Victoria
The Cancer Council Victoria also have helpful nutritional guides and fact sheets available.
- Download the PDF fact sheet Healthy eating to reduce cancer risk
- Download the PDF fact sheet Following a healthy lifestyle: hints and tips
- Download the PDF handbook Nutrition for People Living with Cancer
- Visit the webpage Cancer Council Nutrition and cancer
Other key nutrition resources
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The Cancer Council Victoria’s iHeard webpage has information about cancer claims.
Tumour specific nutrition resources
Pancreatic cancer
- Download Pancare Foundation’s handbook PDF Diet & nutrition for people living with pancreatic
- Watch WCMICS’ (Western Central Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service) YouTube video Empowerment through support: Strength through Nutrition
Neuroendocrine tumours
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Download NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia’s PDF booklet Nutrition and neuroendocrine tumours
Head and Neck cancers
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Head and Neck Cancer Australia’s head and neck cancer nutrition videos
Enteral feeding and dysphagia
Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) program downloadable PDFs:
- What is the HEN program?
- Caring for your nasogastric tube
- Caring for your gastrostomy tube
- Caring for your jejunostomy tube
- Administration of a bolus feed
- Administration of a gravity feeds
- Administration of a pump feeds
- Caring for your formula and equipment
- Troubleshooting
- What to do if your feeding tube has moved or fallen out
- EviQ Education’s how-to videos on enteral feeding, laryngectomy care, and how to thicken fluids
- Watch our YouTube videos on Eating and drinking with your new Ileostomy and How to administer a syringe bolus feed via a nasogastric tube
VCMC’s ‘Preventing weight loss for people with cancer resource’ in other languages
- English – Preventing weight loss for people with cancer
- Arabic - Preventing weight loss for people with cancer
- Greek - Preventing weight loss for people with cancer
- Spanish - Preventing weight loss for people with cancer
- Croation - Preventing weight loss for people with cancer
- Italian - Preventing weight loss for people with cancer
- Macedonian - Preventing weight loss for people with cancer
- Turkish - Preventing weight loss for people with cancer
- Vietnamese - Preventing weight loss for people with cancer
- Traditional Chinese (Cantonese) - Preventing weight loss for people with cancer
- Simplified Chinese (Mandarin) - Preventing weight loss for people with cancer
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