How a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) Can Help During and After Cancer Treatment

Dec 12, 2022 | Angie Murad, Patient Educator | @muradangie | Comments (21)

Article written by Maddie Strong, MS, RDN, LD and Lisa Lammert, RDN, LD

Nutrition is a critical part of your cancer treatment journey.  Research shows that eating well during treatment can help you stay stronger and feel better during treatment.  A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) can help you optimize your nutrition before, during and after cancer treatment.

RDNs are food and nutrition experts who have graduated with at least a bachelor’s degree in nutrition, completed an accredited supervised dietetic internship, passed a national examination and who must complete ongoing continuing professional education requirements to maintain registration.

How can an RDN help me?

  • Manage side effects from treatment, such as poor appetite or taste changes
  • Prevent unintentional weight loss during treatment
  • Promote healthy nutrition habits
  • Separate cancer nutrition myths from facts
  • Educate on healthy eating patterns to help reduce the risk of cancer recurrence
  • Help achieve or maintain a healthy body weight

An RDN will partner with you to develop a safe and realistic eating plan. To guide and motivate you, an RDN will use creative and out-of-the-box strategies to help with meal planning, weight management and cancer treatment symptom management.

What can you expect while meeting with an RDN?

  • A thorough review of medical history, current diet, and eating habits
  • Development of a personalized nutrition plan that takes into consideration:
    • Food preferences, allergies, and intolerances
    • Lifestyle
    • Finances
    • Ability to shop for and prepare food
    • Multiple or conflicting diet/nutrition needs
    • Cancer treatment symptoms
  • Focus on foods to include, not just what to avoid
  • Support in identifying and overcoming barriers
  • Guidance setting individualized goals

Most often a referral is needed from your health care provider to work with an RDN. Cost of RDN visits vary depending on insurance type/coverage. Ask your health care provider for a referral to a registered dietitian nutritionist and start maximizing your nutrition for a better quality of life!

How has a dietitian supported you? 

Interested in more newsfeed posts like this? Go to the Cancer Education blog.

Does Mayo Clinic offer video visits with a RDN?

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@beth123

Does Mayo Clinic offer video visits with a RDN?

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Yes they do! Let your provider know you would like to meet with a dietitian and then request a video visit when scheduling.

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@beth123 I had a video visit with a dietitian earlier this month. I was referred by a provider (oncologist) and the online visit was very easy to set up.

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@muradangie

Yes they do! Let your provider know you would like to meet with a dietitian and then request a video visit when scheduling.

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Hello, I was looking for a way to connect with you but this seems to be the only route. My wife was recently diagnosed and I was looking for some guidance. Would all hospitals dealing with cancer offer a RDN as support?

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@andymac77

Hello, I was looking for a way to connect with you but this seems to be the only route. My wife was recently diagnosed and I was looking for some guidance. Would all hospitals dealing with cancer offer a RDN as support?

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Hello @andymac77
Yes, there should be a dietitian to provide support for your wife. Talk with your oncology care team to ask if they can order a consult with a dietitian. I wish the best to your wife.

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@muradangie

Hello @andymac77
Yes, there should be a dietitian to provide support for your wife. Talk with your oncology care team to ask if they can order a consult with a dietitian. I wish the best to your wife.

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Thank you very much. Greatly appreciated, especially the quick response.

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The integrative oncologist at Mayo recommended some books to me that were very hopeful and informative about cancer remission that included nutrition recommendations: Radical Remission and Radical Hope by Kelly Turner. They include more of a diet elimination process. She also highly recommends Ketotarian diet for my cancer GBM. Ketotarian is more complex and a bigger change for me. I’m looking forward to my integrative oncology nutritionist appointment at the end of the month to get the support I need. Everything I read says diet matters with cancer!

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@hopeful33250

@muradangie
No, my appetite has not really improved all that much but I do eat because I know I need to😊.

I told one RDN, in jest, that I thought that the surgeon had tampered with my appetite control switch, and she said that given the area of my tumor (duodenal bulb) that my idea might not be far from the truth. She explained that we have two places where our appetite is controlled. One is, of course, in the brain, but the other is in the area of my surgeries. Therefore, my appetite might not come back like it was prior to the surgeries. This understanding helped me to accept a "new normal." It was a great educational experience for me and helped me to understand my situation better.

I also learned to pack in the protein early in the meal. So, I don't make a habit of eating the bread and other carbs first but make the protein a priority. Those are just some of my gleanings from working with RDNs.

I so appreciate the work that you all do. You are an asset to patients and often are not recognized and fully appreciated, but I've found that you are gems!

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Hello, Teresa,
I will be having surgery on my digestive system next week and anticipate needing a dietician to help me. I wondered if you could suggest someone at Mayo - Rochester? Thank you!

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@jlea

Hello, Teresa,
I will be having surgery on my digestive system next week and anticipate needing a dietician to help me. I wondered if you could suggest someone at Mayo - Rochester? Thank you!

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Hi @jlea and welcome to Mayo Connect.

From my understanding, Mayo will automatically have a dietician visit you before discharge. To be sure, though, ask your surgeon to have a dietician visit you before you go home.

How long do you anticipate being hospitalized, @jlea?

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@jlea

As @hopeful33250 suggested, definitely ask for a dietician consult either before or after surgery while in hospital. It might be best to ask prior to visit / surgery by sending a portal message to care team. Then the surgeon can place order. Not knowing type of surgery your having, in portal message, be specific about why you want to talk to dietician. If it is standard procedure to get education after surgery, the care team will let you know. Better to ask ahead of time then try to schedule while in hospital.

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