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Your questions answered

When you’re going through cancer treatment, we know there are all sorts of queries relating to what you eat and drink, and how much physical activity you need. Here, we try to answer the most common questions about diet and exercise during cancer treatment.

Keeping active
A pair of football boots and a football

Keeping active

It’s safe and beneficial for people with cancer to keep physically active

Home workouts
A barbell, and exercise mat and a drinks bottle

Home workouts

What exercises can I do at home during or after cancer treatment?

Staying strong
Some hands raised in the air

Staying strong

Are there any nutrition tips that could help support my fitness goals?

Mouth problems
A sparkling, clean mouth

Mouth problems

A sore, dry mouth and thick saliva are some of the most common mouth problems

Heartburn
The digestive system with a flame inside it

Heartburn

Nutritional tips for heartburn during cancer treatment

Fatigue – extreme tiredness
A battery

Fatigue – extreme tiredness

What can help?

Taste changes
A toothbrush with toothpaste on it

Taste changes

How can I deal with a change or loss of taste as a result of treatment?

Reduced immunity
Ginger and mint tea

Reduced immunity

Nutritional tips to reduce the risk of infections

Beyond treatment

Beyond treatment

How long will it take for my taste to return to normal?

Reliable advice
A clipboard and a speech bubble

Reliable advice

Is this advice based on the latest scientific evidence?

Vegan diets
Vegan diets

Vegan diets

Can a vegan diet delay or stop the growth of cancer cells?

Meat and cancer
A steak

Meat and cancer

Can I eat meat if I have cancer or have had cancer?

Should I avoid sugar if I have cancer
A swordfish steak, creme fraiche and half and half an avocado

Should I avoid sugar if I have cancer

If I avoid sugar will it starve the cancer cells?

Does sugar cause cancer growth
Sugar

Does sugar cause cancer growth

Is eating sugar bad when you have cancer?

Soy and breast cancer
Soy beans

Soy and breast cancer

Should I avoid soy if I have breast cancer?

Constipation
A blocked drain

Constipation

Infrequent bowel movements can be helped by eating more fibre

Supplements
A glass of water and a bottle of pills

Supplements

Should I take dietary supplements during cancer treatment?

Protein and cancer
A chicken drumstick, some prawns and mushrooms

Protein and cancer

What benefits does protein intake have during cancer treatment?

Vitamin D, prostate and breast cancer
A fish, a cod liver oil tablet and an egg

Vitamin D, prostate and breast cancer

Should I take vitamin D if I have or have had breast or prostate cancer?

E-news for you
A laptop with an icon of a notification for a new message above the keyboard

E-news for you

Our Living with Cancer e-news offers advice & support on nutrition & cancer

Does cancer affect my bone health?
An x-ray of someone's legs with a magnifying glass hovering over a joint

Does cancer affect my bone health?

Does cancer increase the risk of bone thinning?

Weight loss
Scales for measuring body weight and a tape measure

Weight loss

Practical nutrition tips you can use for weight loss during cancer treatment

Weight gain

Weight gain

I need tips for unwanted weight gain during cancer

Diarrhoea
A gushing tap, above an overflowing sink

Diarrhoea

What can I do if I have diarrhoea during cancer treatment?

Nausea (feeling sick)
A plate, with the knives and forks crossed over on top of it

Nausea (feeling sick)

Sickness and nausea can make even your favourite food a turn-off, but there are things that can help.

Wind
An electric fan

Wind

Help if you’re passing wind more often than usual and finding it uncomfortable.