Cancer Nutrition Counseling

Proper Nutrition is Important Throughout Cancer Care

Your nutrition is affected throughout the disease process - from treatment to rehabilitation, survivorship, and prevention of recurrence. Symptoms and side effects of treatment such as chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation will also have a profound effect.

At Lee Health, we have a certified, licensed oncology dietitian available for nutrition screening and counseling to assist patients and their families or caregiver with individualized nutrition support.

Nutrition counseling offers strategies to manage cancer side effects and prevent treatment delays. Delays result from:

Involuntary weight loss
Elimination problems
Digestive difficulties
Swallowing and throat pain
Changes in appetite

What are the benefits of working with an oncology dietitian?

Our oncology dietitian works with each individual patient to ensure optimal nutrition. This helps patients:

Tolerate treatment
Improve their ability to fight infection
Maintain or improve energy and strength
Prevent or improve malnutrition
Preserve or improve quality of life
Manage tube feeding
Assess the need for nutritional supplements

Nutrition Counseling in Fort Myers and Estero

The Lee Health Cancer Institute extends its support to patients across Florida, providing a wide range of comprehensive treatment options.

Lee Health Regional Cancer Center

8931 Colonial Center Dr Fort Myers, FL 33905

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Phone number (239) 343-9500 View Details
Bonita Health Center

3501 Health Center Blvd Estero, FL 34135

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Phone number (239) 468-8500 View Details

Is your meal increasing your cancer risk?

Fried foods, alcohol, and processed foods—you probably know that these aren’t healthy choices, but did you know, that too much of these foods can increase your cancer risk? "We know that salami and other processed meats, prosciutto, ham, bacon, those are group one carcinogen so I would definitely be mindful to stay away from them," said Lee Health community outreach dietitian, Aikaterina Galeos. Health experts say it’s not only what you eat that matters—but it’s also how it’s prepared. "When we cook any kind of muscle meat over a hot flame, there are compounds that are formed. They are carcinogenic. These things are formed when you smoke meat when you grill meat," she explained. She recommends lowering your meat intake and increasing your fruits and vegetables. "Those phytonutrients that are in fruits and vegetables are known to be anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory," said Galeos. And while cooking can increase the benefits of certain vegetables, it can also decrease the benefits of others. "Like with tomatoes you have lycopene is enhanced when tomatoes are cooked. Lycopene is a type of nutrient that helps to protect against cancer and other things. The more we cook cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, the less sulforaphane that’s available to our body. Those are also phytonutrients and those are also cancer protectants as well," she said. Being mindful about what you’re eating and how it’s prepared can benefit your overall health and lower your risk for cancer. View More Health Matters video segments at LeeHealth.org/Healthmatters/