PGI Chandigarh Observes World Cancer Day with Focus on Nutrition-Led Cancer Care
Marking World Cancer Day 2026 with a dedicated emphasis on supportive care, the Department of Dietetics at PGIMER, Chandigarh, organized a special diet camp for day-care chemotherapy patients at the New OPD. This significant initiative underscored the often under-recognized yet crucial role of nutrition in comprehensive cancer management, positioning food as a vital therapeutic ally throughout treatment and recovery journeys.
Nutrition as an Integral Component of Cancer Therapy
Leading the camp, Dr. Nancy Sahni, Chief Dietician and Head of the Department of Dietetics, sensitized patients and caregivers to the importance of strategic dietary planning before, during, and after chemotherapy cycles. She explained that food, when utilized judiciously, functions as a powerful therapeutic tool, far beyond mere sustenance.
Dr. Sahni emphasized, "Nutrition is not an adjunct but an integral part of cancer therapy, capable of strengthening immunity, improving tolerance to treatment, and enhancing overall quality of life." She detailed how adequate energy and protein intake help patients better cope with the immense stress of treatments, while nutritional gaps arising from poor appetite, nausea, or gastrointestinal side effects can be safely addressed using polymeric, monomeric, or disease-specific oral nutrition supplements.
Debunking Dietary Myths and Promoting Evidence-Based Practices
A central theme of the camp involved addressing widespread dietary myths surrounding cancer. Dr. Sahni strongly advocated moving away from fear-based food restrictions that often harm patients more than help them.
Patients were guided to adopt evidence-based, individualized diets tailored to their specific medical conditions rather than popular misconceptions. As cancer patients are particularly vulnerable to infections, hygienic food preparation was highlighted as essential, alongside encouragement to prefer locally sourced, fresh produce for optimal safety and nutritional value.
Clinician's Perspective on Food-Drug Interactions
Bringing a critical clinician's perspective, Prof. Pankaj Malhotra, Head of the Department of Clinical Haematology and Medical Oncology, drew attention to potential food-drug interactions. He cautioned that certain foods and supplements might interfere with chemotherapy effectiveness, making informed dietary decisions during treatment as crucial as medication adherence itself.
Dr. Malhotra stressed that while the right nutrition robustly supports therapy, unverified dietary practices may inadvertently compromise treatment outcomes, underscoring the need for professional guidance.
Personalized Dietary Counseling for Sustainable Health
A key feature of the camp was personalized dietary counseling, where patients and caregivers received tailor-made diet plans based on multiple factors:
- Chemotherapy cycles and schedules
- Existing comorbidities and health conditions
- Baseline nutritional assessments including intake patterns, weight, BMI
- Food preferences, aversions, and gastrointestinal health status
This individualized approach ensured practical and sustainable dietary guidance extending beyond the hospital setting, reminding participants that healing often begins with informed choices at the dining table.
Critical Insights on Nutritional Preparedness
Dr. Sahni provided detailed explanations about nutritional preparedness: "A nutrition cut-off value is important before any procedure. If a patient is undernourished, it will be very tough to go through chemo or radiotherapy, and with better nutrition, side effects like nausea etc. also get reduced."
She addressed common misconceptions: "There are many myths related to food, like many cancer patients stop eating wheat, milk, and sugar, but they need carbs and fat to supplement nutrition. Of course, processed and ultra-processed food are inflammatory. We tell them not to omit fruits, but make sure these are peeled and washed, so that there is no concern for infections."
Dr. Sahni warned, "By omitting food groups, thinking that these will cause cancer cells to die, they can lose muscle and fat. Oral nutrition needs to be introduced when they can't eat, along with micronutrients, Omega-3. Without nutrition, cells are starved, and the body requires a lot of energy for treatment. If a patient is not eating while undergoing chemo and other treatment, it creates several complications."
The PGIMER Chandigarh initiative powerfully reinforced that nutrition-led cancer care represents a paradigm shift from viewing food as merely supportive to recognizing it as fundamental, evidence-based therapy that empowers patients, debunks harmful myths, and enhances treatment efficacy and quality of life.
