Dr. Paolo Boffetta – Cancer Research & How to Physically Cope Up With It

Millions of people die of different types of cancers across the world every year. Not only does the patient suffer but their families too. Medical experts and doctors are researching the field to determine how cancer can be controlled, and more lives can be saved.

Dr. Paolo Boffetta is an Italian cancer epidemiologist who lives in New York. His hometown is at Turin in Italy, and he is currently researching the field of cancer. He moved to Mount Sinai School of Medicine in the year 2010 and is now the Director of The Institute for Translational Epidemiology and Associate Director for Population Sciences of The Tisch Cancer Institute.

He also is the Bluhdorn Professor of International Community Medicine. Besides the above, he has been associated with several prestigious medical establishments in the past and is still attached to many of them, like France and Germany.

He says cancer patients are mostly devastated when the news is first broken to them. However, he says that with physical activity, diet, and mental counseling with the support of loved ones, they can live everyday life. When it comes to food, cancer patients must ensure they eat a balanced diet. Their diet must have a lot of fresh fruits and vitamins.

Common diet problems

He says that patients who have cancer generally face the following problems with their diet-

1. Taste change and disinclination to eat- Cancer often causes a difference in food taste, and patients generally lose their appetite.
2. Loss of weight- Cancer patients lose weight naturally, even when they do not make any effort to do so.
3. Problems in swallowing- Most cancers often cause a sore throat and mouth. This makes it quite hard for them to chew and swallow food.
4. In digestion-Cancer treatment, problems have their side effects, and the common ones are constipation, blocked bowel, diarrhea, and sickness.
5. Dehydration- Dehydration in the body, is caused due to cancer treatments. The body does not have enough fluids.

Managing these problems

When it comes to managing these problems, cancer patients should seek consultation from their nutritionist or doctor for help. Generally, they are asked to follow a soft diet to make chewing and swallowing simple for them. They are advised to add more calories to their diet so that they can put on weight. Doctors recommend them to increase their protein intake as this helps in the growth and repair of muscles.

Patients may be prescribed medicines to deal with indigestion issues, weight loss, and cachexia. Again, some alternate cancer therapies help them cope with diet problems that may be prescribed to them by their treating oncologist.

As per Paolo Boffetta MD there is a lot of cancer research being conduct, and breakthroughs have been achieved in its treatment. The survival rate for cancer patients is surging subject to timely treatment, proper diet, and regular physical activity.