When you have metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC), fatigue from an ongoing treatment schedule, as well as side effects such as nausea or taste changes can make it hard to prep and eat meals. But proper nutrition can help you avoid unintended weight loss and keep your energy and strength up as you undergo cancer treatment.
Even if your weight stays the same, muscle loss during treatment is also common and can lead to fatigue and loss of strength. “Our muscles are important for strength and mobility, but they’re also important in terms of immunity and recovery,” says Gillian Richardson, a clinical dietitian at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
So it’s important to view your diet as part of treatment, says Karla Giboyeaux, RD, who practices at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Ralph Lauren Center in Harlem, New York. “In fact, maintaining weight and muscle can help you tolerate treatment as best as you can.” This may reduce the need to reschedule or skip treatments because your body can’t tolerate them.
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