I can provide nutrition support for the following cancer diagnoses:

• Head and neck (mouth, throat, voice box, nose, salivary glands)

• Upper gastrointestinal (oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gall bladder, GIST)

• Lower gastrointestinal (colorectal, anal)

• Bone and soft tissue (sarcoma)

• Lung

• Breast

• Gynaecological (ovarian, cervical, uterine, vaginal, vulvar)

• Brain and neurological

• Genitourinary (kidney, bladder, prostate, testicular)

• Skin and melanoma

• Blood

• Cancers of unknown primary

Often a cancer diagnosis brings with it reduced food intake, along with metabolic changes, which can result in weight loss, loss of skeletal muscle, reduced physical ability and inflammation. The causes for these changes are complex and multifactorial.

Due to the nature of the disease, there is a large amount of information on diets for cancer available, this includes both reputable information and information based on little to no evidence. Navigating the overwhelming amount of nutrition information you have been given can be extremely daunting and having support to make decisions around whether these changes are safe and won’t impact treatment goals is essential.

At the time of diagnosis, my approach in our sessions is first and foremost, to consider the personal needs, choices and goals of the individual.

I will provide you with:

• Clear and concise information to ensure you feel empowered from a nutrition perspective.

• A thorough understanding of the impact on nutrition that your specific cancer and associated treatment has on your digestion, absorption, and your body’s use of nutrients.

• Strategies and information to allow you to make informed decisions about your diet and nutrition.

• Information on herbs and supplements that you may have commenced or that may have been recommended, to ensure these are beneficial and support your treatment and overall nutrition goals.

Cancer treatment can include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy (immunotherapy), radiation therapy, stem cell transplant and surgery.

Some cancer treatments make it difficult to eat and drink and/or can affect the digestion and absorption of certain foods and nutrients. This can result in unintentional weight loss and loss of skeletal muscle.

Each individual responds to cancer treatment differently. Some side effects from cancer treatment that can have an impact on nutrition include mouth ulcers, reduced saliva, poor dentition, malabsorption, constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, reduced gut function, changes to taste and smell, and pain.

Throughout cancer treatment, my approach in our sessions is to provide:

• Support for your personal nutrition/diet goals whilst ensuring there are no implications to your treatment.

• Individual advice and recommendations for your diet to maintain your nutrition throughout your treatment.

• Strategies for managing nutrition related side effects of treatment.

• A contact point throughout your treatment, to provide ongoing nutrition recommendations as your side effects and physiological needs change throughout treatment.

• Pre-treatment and/or pre-operative nutrition optimisation to ensure you commence treatment as nutritionally well as possible.

• Alternative methods of nutrition support if eating and drinking is no longer achievable.

After completing cancer treatment, people are often very motivated to learn about food choices, physical activity and dietary supplements to enhance treatment outcomes and quality of life.

Cancer survivors are at a higher risk of developing a second primary cancer and other chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Diet can play an important role in reducing this risk.

Following cancer treatment, the goals of my sessions are to provide:

• Support for your personal nutrition/diet goals.

• Diet based recommendations to support reducing chronic disease risk.

• Strategies for the management of ongoing and long-term treatment related side effects.

• Information on how to thrive post cancer treatment.

Finding out that you require a feeding tube is incredibly difficult to hear as it is a big change to your identity and lifestyle. This is a lifestyle change that requires support and expertise to ensure you are still able to meet your nutrition goals.

You may rely on your feeding tube for all nutrition and hydration needs or you might use it to supplement what you are not able to meet through eating and drinking.

There are many reasons people have a feeding tube outside of cancer. Regardless of your reason or diagnosis, I can support you.

For those with a feeding tube, during our sessions I can support you with:

• Personalised care to integrate your feeding tube into your lifestyle.

• Feeding tube education (prior to or after getting a feeding tube).

• Nutrition guidance for both pre-made and blended/homemade tube feeds.

• Feeding pump training.

• Nutrition monitoring to ensure you are meeting all of your nutrition requirements.

• Becoming independent with your feeding tube.

• How to care for your feeding tube.