Food for life

Despite different symptoms and consequences of different types of cancer, many problems of patients are similar. All of them quickly lose weight and lose strength - the growing tumor depletes the body's resources. Immunity "sits", and aggressive treatment methods finally exhaust the sick person

In the West, it has long been realized that rehabilitation and nutritional support (providing specialized nutrition) should begin immediately after the diagnosis has been made, in parallel with the treatment. The attitude to the rehabilitation of cancer patients is being revised in Russia. At the “Movement against Cancer Movement” forum, the Ministry of Health plans to make rehabilitation in the XI forum, and its holding is profitable for medical facilities. But so far in Russia, patients are forced to solve their problems on their own.

Denis

Muscovite Denis Smolyakov has thyroid cancer. When he was diagnosed 12 years ago, the tumor had already sprouted into the trachea and reached the esophagus. I had to remove part of the esophagus and trachea and install a tracheostoma. In total, he underwent four operations and a month fed through the probe, which walked through the nose immediately into the stomach. Denis then worked in a large successful company that provided employees with VHI policies, and when it became clear how he was seriously ill, the employer (and part -time friend of Denis) expanded his insurance, providing everything necessary.

“In the hospital, we were given a special Nutricia nutrition, which was introduced into the probe with a large syringe,” says Denis Julia's wife. - After the same traumatic operations, relatives fed other patients with homemade food - broths ground in a blender. And they are all losing weight literally before our eyes. It was especially difficult to look at a guy weakened every day from another city - he had nothing at all except a dolling hospital food. ” Denis himself in a month on specialized nutrition has not lost a kilogram. Three months later, the tracheostoma dragged on, Denis was breathing as before - through the nose and mouth, and in the summer he already dug up the garden.

Denis Smolyakov Photo: From Personal Archive

Remission lasted until 2014, when metastases in the esophagus were discovered. Two more operations were deprived of Denis larynx and voice. This time he was treated for compulsory medical insurance and did not receive specialized nutrition. Julia continuously cooked food for him, buying the best products, but Denis still lost his strength and lost 15 kilograms in two months. “For the first time, we did not particularly think about the role of specialized nutrition, but now we felt the difference very well,” says Julia. Due to the long probe power, Denis opened a fistula in the esophagus, with which he lived for about a year. To close this fistula, the seventh operation was required. And here, Julia decided not to experiment and bought specialized nutrition herself.

Now Denis is in remission. Breathes through the hole in the neck, speaks using the apparatus of the formation of speech - a small device hanging on the neck. Of course, life has changed, Denis admits, but he was able to rebuild and does not lose interest in life. After a large break, I got on the skis. And when he and Julia for the first time after the operation went to the sea, they even figured out how to swim with the tracheostoma.

Nastya

When Nastya Krylova from Bezhetsk was diagnosed with “acute myelobalic leukemia”, her daughter was only four months old. After there were six -month separation from her husband and little daughter, hospitalization at the Moscow Institute of Hematology, seven courses of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. Transplantation itself was made by quota, for free, but for the preparation of donor material for which no quotas is provided, Nastina paid 500 thousand rubles.

Nastya Krylova photo: from personal archive

Nastya spent three weeks after transplantation without food and water - exclusively on intravenous nutrition. “It was necessary to somehow leave this hungry diet so that the stomach and intestines did not go crazy at once with ordinary food,” says Nastya. - And at the same time receive all the necessary components. Doctors advised Nutridrink. I started with two bottles a day, drinking each throat for several hours. Then they brought their number to four. ”

A month later, broths and vegetable soups began to be introduced into the nastin - along the spoon between the Nutridrinka techniques. The transition to ordinary food was painless. “I saw what digestive problems were in patients who took ordinary food - they were constantly sick, they were rapidly losing weight,” says Nastya. “I had no side effects, my body liked specialized nutrition, it was tasty, my strength quickly returned.”

William

To the young violinist, William Hailo from Sevastopol, the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia was made in the spring of 2017. At this time, he studied at the Central Music School at the Moscow State Conservatory, lived in a hostel. Events developed rapidly - from nasal bleeding, with which he was taken away by an ambulance to the district hospital, to the resuscitation of the Center for Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology named after Dima Rogachev has passed only a few days. Then several courses of chemotherapy, total irradiation and bone marrow transplantation. Due to the burned high-a-duma “chemistry” of the esophagus, the guy could not take a sip in his mouth. Hormones in which he gained weight was injected, but after their cancellation he lost kilograms twice as fast. Salvation was the specialized nutrition "Nutridrink", which allowed it to prepare it for transplantation.

William Hailo Photo: From Personal Archive

When, a few days after the transplantation, the doctors allowed to transfer the violin to William, he was so weak that his strength was barely enough to decompose the tool. But after a few days he was able to play. Blood indicators grew well, and, without waiting for the set for 30 days that William was supposed to spend in sterile boxing, he was released for a walk around the department, and on the ninth day they even allowed to go out into the street. “After transplantation, patients are very exhausted and do not want anything at all,” says Mom William Nadezhda. - The main task of parents at this moment is to feed the child. And when every two hours you persuade him to swallow a spoonful of just prepared food, and then you see how it comes out completely undigested - this is terrible. Only specialized nutrition was completely absorbed. ”

William was discharged from the hospital three months after transplantation. He is so strong that almost immediately he was able to fly to London with Chulpan Khamatova to play at the Give Life Foundation charity concert. But he took “Nutridrink” for another year - as a source of valuable nutrients. And now he drinks a bottle in the morning, takes with him to class and in the pool.

Nourishing support

A huge number of oncological patients need specialized nutrition. To combat oncological disease, additional energy and nutrients are required, primarily protein - it is its absence that entails nutritional deficiency (loss of weight and strength, digestive problems). And weakness and poor health caused by nutritional deficiency lead to such complications that sometimes even you have to interrupt treatment. Most often, nutritional failure is found in patients with pancreatic cancer, stomach, esophagus, tumors in the head and neck, and leukemia.

Chief physician of NMIC named after Dima Rogachev Dmitry Litvinov photo: NMIC them. Dima Rogachev

“Most patients forget about nutrition, that the disease changes taste preferences and complicates the digestibility of useful elements. Very often, patients do not die from the disease itself, but from its complications. Sometimes the patient may die of hunger. Believe me, this is still possible in the 21st century, ”said the chief physician of NMIC named after the recent press conference. Dima Rogachev Dmitry Litvinov.

According to Maria Kukosh, a specialized nutritional support, from 80% to 100% of patients with malignant tumors of the head and neck, esophagus, and stomach, is required by the radio-radiological department of the radological department of the GKB No. 40. With pancreatic cancer, the rectum and colon in specialized nutrition, 60-80% of patients need.

“Specialized nutrition is extremely important in the treatment of our patients, here“ in one bottle ”and food and medicine,” the expert says. - In oncology, the situation is not uncommon when, with the help of ordinary food, it is impossible to provide the patient with the necessary amount of protein and calories. Sometimes the antitumor treatment itself is aggressive and negatively affects the esophagus, the patient’s trophic status. And in such cases, nutrition plays a decisive role for the course of the disease, directly affects the prognosis. ” According to Maria Kukosh, nutritional support should begin immediately after an oncological diagnosis is made. And during treatment and even after discharge, you should constantly monitor the nutritional status and, if necessary, continue taking specialized nutrition.

The deplorable picture

Meanwhile, hospitals that at least partially provide their patients with specialized nutrition can be counted on the fingers. Only two Russian institutions were fully possible - the Center for Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology named after Dima Rogachev and St. Petersburg City Clinical Oncological Dispensary. Moreover, the latter resolved this issue at the level of the city legislative assembly, which adopted a special program and allocated funding for it.

President of the Association of Oncological Patients "Hello!" Irina Borovova photo: from personal archive

At the same time, according to the President of the Association of Oncological Patients "Hello!" Irina Borovova, with questions about nutritional support to the association hotline, is addressed by a huge number of people. “For oncopacients, specialized nutrition with its unique composition is no less important than medicines, many people without nutritional support die, even despite the expensive treatment and a favorable prognosis,” she says. - A year ago, we conducted a survey in which almost 500 people from all over the country participated, and received a deplorable picture. Even with those diseases, when specialized nutrition literally saves life, some of the patients do not even know about its existence. It was provided through the probe immediately after the operation in the intensive care unit, but after transferring to a regular ward, people already acted in what kind of work. ”

For several years now, the association has been ensuring that nutritional support is included in the treatment standards and is paid for compulsory medical insurance. In the Public Chamber, a working group was created at the Health Commission specifically for specialized nutrition. The State Duma and the Federation Council are also interested in this issue, because they saw the economic efficiency of nutritional support, says Irina Borovova. After all, people who receive specialized nutrition are restored faster, which means that the time of their stay in the hospital bed is reduced.

"There is strength"

Specialized nutrition helps to create in the body the correct balance of nutrients necessary in order to more easily transfer chemotherapy. It contains energy and nutrients, first of all, the maximum amount of easily digestible protein, which is necessary to restore weight and strength, maintain immunity.

According to Julia Kostina, Executive Director of the Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition, the company constantly creates new products that satisfy the specific needs of cancer patients. The point is that as a result of a disease or against the background of treatment, a person also encounters an inversion of taste (a change in the usual tastes and smells)- up to 70% of patients undergoing chemical and radiation therapy, are disgusted with some tastes, dryness, burning, and a metallic aftertaste.

Julia Kostina Photo: Nutricia Edwa

This year, the company has an innovative product Nutridrink Compact Protein, which was developed together with cancer patients. Most of the patients were on chemo- and radiation therapy and experienced taste inversion. Patients were offered to choose from more than 10 different tastes, and they opted for the three most optimal ones, Julia Kostina said.

The cooling fruit and berry taste is best suited to patients passing or completing radiation therapy, as it helps to relieve burning sensation. The warming taste of ginger and tropical fruits is optimal for patients undergoing chemotherapy, it dries the feeling of a metal flavor. The neutral taste is suitable for those patients who do not perceive pronounced tastes.

“Unfortunately, few people know that specialized nutrition allows you to maintain weight during complex antitumor therapy, reduce the number of complications, and accelerate recovery processes,” she says. - Today in our society there is generally no understanding that cancer will be cured. And therefore, the diagnosis of “oncology” sounds so scary for many. The educational project “There is a Forces”, the purpose of which is to inform people about specialized nutrition as an integral part of cancer therapy. ”