Diet and supplements for cancer patients - seeking advice

My father started losing weight this past spring—nothing extreme at first—but by June, he was running low-grade fevers between 99°F and 99.5°F without any clear cause. By late July, he was diagnosed with metastases in his lungs and adrenal glands.

He’s completed two rounds of chemo so far, and his third session starts next week.

Our biggest concerns right now are the weight loss, anemia, nausea, fatigue, and those daily spikes in temperature.

I’ve been reading online that there are specific supplements you can take or mix into food that might help a patient gain 3 to 5 pounds within a single chemo cycle.

I’m wondering if we can get any coverage through Medicare for these kinds of supplements? Between the cost of the nutritional aids at $233, plus Zofran at $200, and Omega-3s at $133... it’s becoming a massive financial strain on our family's income and Social Security.

I am asking for any advice or personal experiences you might have regarding meal planning, nutrition, or even psychological support (counseling, macrobiotic approaches, etc.) that helped you or your loved ones maintain weight during treatment.
It seems like so many patients fighting stomach, intestinal, liver, esophageal, or lung cancer end up succumbing to weight loss rather than the disease itself.

on this thread is packed with so much great advice! It’s huge and really detailed, so it's definitely worth taking the time to sit down and read through everything carefully.

Regarding getting your costs covered through Medicare, your primary care doctor is really your best bet for info on that.

What about stem cell therapy?

Go ahead and check out this link from jadesailor14—there is honestly a wealth of information there. Most people tend to put together their own custom combinations, though you’ll certainly have to do quite a bit of reading first to figure out a dietary regimen that actually works for you—considering your budget, what's available at the local grocery store, the patient's specific preferences, and, of course, their actual medical condition.

As far as specific diets go, I personally find the Budwig approach to be superior (you can even pick up a book by Johanne Budwig if you want to dive deeper). It incorporates many of those healthy elements found in the Breuss method, but adds in a combination of flaxseed oil and low-fat cottage cheese. The beauty of it is that it can be applied regardless of one's health status and isn't restricted to a specific timeframe. On the other hand, the Breuss method is extremely radical—in some instances, it could even be considered dangerous. It shouldn't be followed for more than six weeks, and since it's so low in protein, there's a real risk of a patient suffering from severe malnutrition. While many people have indeed recovered using the Breuss way, it certainly has its pitfalls; for instance, it absolutely should not be used alongside chemotherapy—meaning, you'd only consider Breuss if you've moved past active treatment... which is quite different from how you'd handle the Budwig diet.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to talk my stubborn old man into trying the Budwig diet. So, here I am, staring at a bottle of flaxseed oil sitting in my fridge that has already passed its expiration date.

Regarding weight loss, doctors usually prescribe enteral nutrition formulas like Ensure or Glucerna. I believe they require a prescription.
I wouldn't recommend Breussa under any circumstances because it causes massive muscle wasting. The Budwig diet is a much better fit (as previously suggested).

Thank you.

I am currently in the process of carefully reviewing all the information. This Friday, we are headed to the outpatient oncology clinic at Mayo Clinic. Is it possible for them to prescribe Prosera or similar medications there, or does he strictly need to see his specific oncologist in the clinic? He won't be seeing his primary oncologist until after his fourth round of therapy, and I’m genuinely worried he might lose too much weight by then.