A leading cancer charity will offer nutrition courses to patients across Britain after a trial showed the courses helped them overcome the dietary challenges of the disease and cut NHS waiting times.
Many people with cancer find that the disease or their treatment changes the taste of their food, reduces their appetite, or causes them to lose weight.
Maggie’s Cancer Centers have been advising patients on diet in partnership with the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in London since 2020.
It plans to extend its dietary support to anyone attending its 27 centers across Britain, amid growing awareness of how good nutrition can help cancer patients cope and recover from the disease and the effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Maggie’s centers in Manchester and Southampton also offer sessions, which often include cookery classes.
The workshops – led by a cancer dietitian – help patients by debunking popular myths about cancer and nutrition, such as that sugar “feeds” and helps spread the disease and that they should avoid dairy.
Maggie’s is urging Health Secretary Wes Streeting to ensure the government’s next cancer strategy encourages every NHS trust in England to work with it after Marsden found the courses helped reduce waiting times to access its own nutrition service.
Patients who previously had to wait several months to attend were referred to the sessions run by Maggie, which brought together 10 to 15 people at a time, allowing those with more complex nutritional needs to be seen individually by Marsden staff.
Maggie’s said: “Cancer treatments can impact appetite, tastes and nutritional needs and many people worry about what they should and shouldn’t eat during treatment and beyond.
“Group nutrition workshops at Maggie’s help people with cancer separate fact from fiction, encouraging them to follow a healthy, balanced diet, but ultimately enabling them to make the best decisions based on their individual needs,” said Laura Lee, the charity’s executive director.
In a plea to Streeting – who was treated for kidney cancer in 2021 – Lee added: “This approach… is a win-win: people with cancer benefit from reliable and timely nutritional support, which is vital, while the NHS benefits from reduced waiting lists.
The national cancer plan for England is due to be published on February 4, World Cancer Day.
“Cancer can make eating and drinking a daily struggle. When appetite and taste change, or eating becomes uncomfortable, people may lose weight and feel too tired to cope,” said Isobel Booth, head of health information at the World Cancer Research Fund.
“Many people experience significant taste changes, sore mouths, or no appetite at all, while others need help finding ways to increase their calories and protein to stay strong during treatment. »
She welcomed Maggie’s plans to expand her nutrition, cooking and myth-busting sessions. “Misinformation is everywhere and when someone is undergoing cancer treatment or recovering, it is even more important to get it right.
“Appointments with NHS dietitians are in high demand, so support from charitable services like these can be invaluable.” Booth added that 98% of people who called the World Cancer Research Fund’s cancer and nutrition helpline found it made them more confident in managing their diet.
Streeting believes that charities can provide some healthcare in a more patient-friendly way than the NHS. He cited Maggie as an example when speaking to the media after a major speech last year on health inequities.
“The NHS should try to work better in partnership with charities. Sometimes charities are better placed to provide services and are more accessible. I think of Maggie’s… which supports people with cancer and their families, you walk in there, it’s warm, it’s welcoming.”
“You don’t feel like you’re in a clinical ward. They would never describe themselves as a ward. And every time I walk into a ward I think everyone should have that, but I’m glad they provide it, not the state.”
Cally Palmer, chief executive of Marsden’s and former director of cancer at NHS England, said her nutritional and dietary support service alongside Maggie’s had helped ensure “healthier long-term outcomes for patients”.
“We are delighted that it is now being extended to other Maggie’s centers to benefit cancer patients across the UK. »
