HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Moffitt Cancer Center is teaming up with a local cafe to provide healthy meals for patients going through chemotherapy. It's a pilot program focusing on how the Mediterranean diet impacts head, neck and lung cancer patients.
Doctors are tracking how this diet impacts symptom burden during and after treatment.
LS Organics provides patients with three meals a day. James Long is one of the participants.
“I went into urgent care about two months ago with a pain in my left side," he said. "When I was in there, I got a C.T., and they found it was lung cancer.”
One trip to urgent care came with a major change for Long. After the cancer diagnosis, he started his chemotherapy journey at Moffitt. Long was happily surprised to be part of the Mediterranean diet feeding study.
"I get a variety of Mediterranean foods," Long said. "They are really good, actually!”
Stasia Chaise, owner of LS Organics, explained this diet helps with inflammation and overall health.
“A Mediterranean diet is full of whole foods, fresh fruits, fresh veggies and whole grains,” Chaise said.
Each meal is individually tailored to each patient.
“Because chemoradiation is so close to areas that are close to vital eating functions like swallowing and chewing, it's very challenging for this population to consume food,” Dr. Crowder said.
Ls Organics cooks soft, easy-to-chew foods for the patients, including purees, mashed foods and smoothies. Long said this alone has been a big help.
“It does make me feel better. I do enjoy the smoothies I have been getting with the radiation in the esophagus,” Long said.
Dr. Crowder said they are tracking the symptoms and will study how they impact patients' chemotherapy symptoms and recovery in the long run.
“Our hypothesis is consuming a Mediterranean diet that is really high in anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants may be associated with lower-impact symptom burden,” Dr. Crowder said.
"They need to be aware that they’re putting families at risk”
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