Small Bowel Cancer and Risks of Yeast Infection in Women

Malignancy, of any type, can be life altering and adversely affect not only the bodily system in which cancer is present, but also adversely affect other physiological systems. If you have been diagnosed with small bowel cancer, your most important focus may be on the issues of fighting malignancy and your digestive health but, in addition, it is important to also address issues of secondary infection.

Small bowel cancer, also commonly referred to as small intestine cancer, is a health complication that often results in the need for multiple surgeries, including the placement of a colostomy at some point. For patients with small bowel cancer, the ability to digest food will forever change and, as a result, specific foods will become more important to overall health.

A yeast infection is a common infection experienced by patients who have small bowel cancer. With a change in digestion, and a change to the natural flora of the stomach, yeast infections typically manifest on a regular basis and, for this reason, patients are often put on a very limited diet. If you are undergoing treatment for small bowel cancer, you'll want to meet with a dietician or nutritionist who can provide guidance in what foods you can eat and how to minimize candidiasis, or yeast infection, outbreaks.

Boosting up on acidophilus and protein, by way of regular yogurt consumption, is typically recommended. Limiting the use of sugar products is also necessary in fighting yeast infections. Sugar can cause yeast infections to become worsened but, in addition, it is an adverse product for small bowel cancer patients to consume anyway. Much like the restricted diets after a tracheostomy, once your throat, stomach or intestines are changes, so is the dietary requirements. So, your nutritionist or dietician should offer guidance in high protein, low sugar diets no matter what your yeast infection risk may be.

With healthy lifestyle and eating properly, even with a colostomy, patients with small bowel cancer can overcome their malignancy and have good quality of life. The key to this success, however, will lie in getting early diagnosis and treatment, but also staying within the confines of a diet and improving overall health by keeping yeast infections to a very minimum.

Sources: Your Guide to Bowel Cancer, by John Northover