Nutrition Services

Eating healthy is an important part of maintaining your health and energy during and after treatment and throughout survivorship.  Cancer treatments can damage many healthy cells which can deplete your body of the necessary nutrients needed to regain your health. At Middlesex Hospital we want our patients to feel better using all available methods. A common frustration among people with cancer is that no one seems to really know what impact diet has on developing cancer.  Nutrition is a science, but it is a relatively new science with unique research problems. What is well known, however, is that cancer is preventable with lifestyle changes, and diet is an important part of the changes needed to be cancer-free.

What is an oncology dietitian and what do they do?

An oncology registered dietitian (RD) is a specialist in assisting cancer patients in maintaining their nutritional health during and after treatment.  The RD is certified by the American Dietetic Association.

According to the American Dietetic Association, forty percent of cancer patients die of malnutrition.  Therefore, the dietitian’s goal is to maintain the health of the patient as well as make it easier for the patient to tolerate the side effects of their treatment. 

What makes nutrition services at Middlesex Hospital’s Cancer Center unique?  

At Middlesex Hospital we work as a team to provide optimal care.  This means that our physicians are knowledgeable about nutrition services that are provided at the Cancer Center and are able to refer patients to this service as part of their treatment plan regime.  Also, unlike other cancer centers, our nutrition services are offered right here at the Cancer Center, making these services easily accessible to our cancer patients.