Oncology Nutrition Services
Individuals with cancer have special nutritional needs because cancer and cancer treatment can cause conditions and symptoms that increase the risk of malnutrition, or make it difficult to eat and maintain a healthy weight.
Our registered dietitians at John Theurer Cancer Center specialize in cancer care and understand the role nutrition plays before, during and after treatment. We offer personalized nutrition services specific to your cancer diagnosis and symptoms, with a focus on your food preferences and nutrition goals.
Contact Us
Contact Nutrition Services by asking for a referral from your navigator, or doctor, or by calling 551-996-5073.
Our Oncology Nutrition Services
Nutrition services are available free of charge to all patients treated at each of our cancer centers. If you are a patient at John Theurer Cancer Center and have questions about diet, nutrition or hydration, please consult your Patient Handbook for nutrition service contact information, or ask your nurse navigator or a member of your care team for a referral.
A session with one of our registered dietitians will focus on your individual needs and may include:
- Assessing your nutritional needs unique to your type of cancer and treatment
- Medical Nutrition Therapy, including management of patients with comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, hypertension or hyperlipidemia
- Educating you and your caregivers on cancer nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits
- Nutritional support using parenteral (IV) feeding and enteral (tube feeding) methods
- Assistance with managing treatment related side effects
While medical science continues to explore the relationship between food and cancer, studies have shown that certain foods and nutrients provide resources your body needs to fight cancer by:
- Supporting the immune system to fight infections
- Promoting healthy body tissue growth
- Supporting healthy gut microbiome
- Reducing inflammation and damage of healthy tissue
- Fueling your body and reducing fatigue
Our registered dietitians have access to the latest research and can answer any questions about:
- Special dietary patterns, such as plant-based and weight management.
- Recommendations for safe and effective physical activity
- Gut health: pre and probiotics
- Dietary supplements, including vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and herbal/natural products
John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center is home to a state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen, where individuals with cancer and caregivers learn firsthand how to prepare healthy foods.
Cooking Studio events are held the first, second and last Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m. and are open to the public. “The Cutting Edge Kitchen” event covers hot topics in oncology nutrition research and food.
If you can’t make it in-person, we also offer a virtual class on nutrition, physical activity and emotional wellness guidelines for survivorship called "Moving Forward".
Your Nutrition Team
We are proud to have one of the largest cancer nutrition services teams in the state. Our nutrition experts at John Theurer Cancer Center have specialized training in cancer care and are here to support you wherever you are in your cancer journey.
