Patient Resources

Resources for Side Effects & Nutrition during treatment

Radiation therapy treats cancer by using high-energy waves to kill tumor cells. The goal is to destroy or damage cancer without hurting too many healthy cells.

This treatment can cause side effects, but they’re different for everyone. The ones you have depend on the type of radiation you get, how much you get, the part of your body that gets treatment, and how healthy you are overall.

There’s no way to predict how radiation will affect you. You may have few or only mild side effects from your treatment; someone else may have a lot of problems or very severe ones.

When you get radiation therapy, you’ll work with your care team to manage side effects. It’s important to talk about how the treatment makes you feel and what you can do to feel better. If the therapy makes you uncomfortable, speak up. If you keep your health team informed, they can help you get through treatment.

An Added Focus on Healthy Eating

Another important goal during radiation therapy is eating enough to maintain your weight and keep up your strength. You also need to ensure that your body gets the nutrition it needs to promote the regrowth of healthy tissues.

During radiation therapy, it is important to focus on making nutritious choices. In addition, your calorie and protein needs may be higher during treatment.

The Bismarck Cancer Center has a board certified oncology registered dietitian on staff to assist you through this process.

We have put together several resources to help manage side effects and nutrition tips and recipes for our patients. Click the links below to find resources to help you through your journey.

Managing side effects

Side effect management for cancer patients

Managing nutrition for cancer patients