uzanne Dixon, a dietitian who has worked at the University of Michigan's Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, runs a Web site that is a bonanza for cancer patients and survivors (www.cancernutritioninfo.com).
The site, which is remarkably thorough and well researched, addresses just about every nutrition-related problem someone dealing with cancer is likely to face. For each, there are pages of suggested solutions.
Among the topics covered are an altered sense of taste and smell, iron deficiency anemia, constipation, diarrhea, dry mouth or thick saliva, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, poor appetite and early fullness, sore mouth and throat, and weight loss and weight gain during treatment.
Ms. Dixon also offers recipes for foods like greens and smoothies that may help people fight cancer or cope better with treatment-related symptoms.
For example, for those turned off by food odors and flavors, Ms. Dixon suggests being fastidious about mouth care, using plastic utensils, having others prepare food whenever possible, eating cold foods that do not have much odor, trying foods with minimal odors and short cooking times, drinking from a covered container and making a sour shake or smoothie if sweet foods do not taste good.
For those experiencing cancer-related fatigue, she suggests focusing on protein-rich foods, fat and fiber and avoiding the temptation to snack on sugary foods, which will ultimately cause even more of a letdown.
While most of the information on Ms. Dixon's Web site is available free to all who want it, for a $15-a-year subscription that is well worth the investment she will continually provide new and useful information to help cancer patients and survivors live better and possibly longer.
