Dietary therapy for lung cancer

Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
Updated on September 29, 2024
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In the diet of lung cancer patients, Western medicine does not have the concept of "trigger foods" like Chinese medicine does. According to Western medicine, there are no specific dietary restrictions; the focus is on maintaining a balanced diet as usual, incorporating meat, proteins, vegetables, and fruits to ensure nutritional balance. Generally, lung cancer patients may experience coughing symptoms, so it is advisable to consume a light diet avoiding oily fried foods. Extremely spicy foods can provoke irritative coughing and worsen it, so they should be avoided, along with barbecued and pickled foods, and junk food. Other than that, the diet should be similar to a normal balanced diet. For patients undergoing chemotherapy, a high-protein diet is recommended, preferably consisting of steamed or stewed dishes. These can be combined with traditional Chinese medicinal herbs such as Astragalus, American ginseng, and Dong quai, which are known to boost energy and enhance resistance, thus aiding in dietary therapy to strengthen the patient's immunity.

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How long can one live with lung cancer?

The survival period of malignant tumors is a topic of great concern to everyone. The question of how long one can live with lung cancer is very difficult to answer. It should be based on the patient's physical condition and the pathological staging. However, these judgments are only based on a predictive basis and do not determine how long the patient can live. If the patient does not relapse after surgery, is sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and shows no signs of recurrence or resistance, then their five-year survival rate is naturally higher. If the patient experiences recurrence and metastasis after surgery, then the five-year survival rate is naturally lower. Therefore, the question of how long a person can live with a malignant tumor cannot be answered generically.

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Causes of Lung Cancer

The most common cause of lung cancer is smoking, but many people who have never smoked also develop lung cancer. One possible reason could be related to kitchen fumes. Chinese cooking habits often involve high-temperature frying and stir-frying. After frying in hot oil, the higher the temperature, the more harmful substances are in the fumes, which over time could lead to lung cancer. Some patients develop lung cancer due to air pollution; secondhand smoke is also a significant cause. For example, if a husband smokes, the likelihood of his wife developing lung cancer is more than 200% higher than in the general population, indicating that smoking harms not only the smoker but also their nearest and dearest family members. Additionally, there are other potential causes including psychosomatic factors such as chronic insomnia, depression, decreased immunity, genetic factors, and more.

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Does early-stage lung cancer cause facial swelling?

Patients with early-stage lung cancer generally do not experience facial swelling. This is because early-stage lung cancers mainly include carcinoma in situ and stage I lung cancer. At this stage, the cancer tissue is confined to the mucosa, without invasion of the surrounding tissues or distant metastasis. Therefore, the clinical symptoms of patients with early-stage lung cancer primarily involve the respiratory system. Clinical symptoms mainly include coughing, often a dry cough without phlegm, or coughing up phlegm with blood, hemoptysis, and massive hemoptysis. Some patients may experience chest pain, or have a barking cough, or a metallic-sounding cough. Some patients may have shortness of breath after physical activity, and severe cases can experience breathing difficulties. In most cases, patients do not exhibit other clinical changes. However, as the disease progresses, and there is invasion into surrounding tissues, or distant metastases occur, symptoms of invasion into surrounding tissues or distant metastatic sites may appear. For example, metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes can cause enlarged lymph nodes, or compression of the superior vena cava by the patient, resulting in swelling of the face and neck.

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How to detect early symptoms of lung cancer?

So, the early symptoms of lung cancer often include a cough, hemoptysis, difficulty breathing, and chest pain. However, these symptoms, particularly the irritating cough, typically appear after the tumor has grown in the larger bronchi; this is often mistaken for a cough following a cold, leading to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment. Therefore, if this type of irritating cough occurs, it is essential to seek medical attention promptly and to undergo chest X-ray or CT scan. Second, as the tumor continues to grow and affects the drainage of the bronchus, secondary lung infections may occur, often characterized by coughing up pus-like sputum, and an increase in the amount of sputum, which should also be noted. Third, a very common symptom is the presence of blood in the sputum, or streaks of blood, or intermittent minor hemoptysis, which must be taken seriously.

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Dietary therapy for lung cancer

In the diet of lung cancer patients, Western medicine does not have the concept of "trigger foods" like Chinese medicine does. According to Western medicine, there are no specific dietary restrictions; the focus is on maintaining a balanced diet as usual, incorporating meat, proteins, vegetables, and fruits to ensure nutritional balance. Generally, lung cancer patients may experience coughing symptoms, so it is advisable to consume a light diet avoiding oily fried foods. Extremely spicy foods can provoke irritative coughing and worsen it, so they should be avoided, along with barbecued and pickled foods, and junk food. Other than that, the diet should be similar to a normal balanced diet. For patients undergoing chemotherapy, a high-protein diet is recommended, preferably consisting of steamed or stewed dishes. These can be combined with traditional Chinese medicinal herbs such as Astragalus, American ginseng, and Dong quai, which are known to boost energy and enhance resistance, thus aiding in dietary therapy to strengthen the patient's immunity.