Medical Nutrition Therapy Services

How we can help

Every patient is different, every cancer or disease is different, and a patient’s needs can change over time when it comes to nutrition. Our team will work closely with your physician to discuss how your specific diagnosis or treatments are affecting you. Using that information, we work with you to create a nutrition plan.

Here are some of the reasons patients come to us:

What happens at your first appointment

Before your first visit to Medical Nutrition Therapy Services, one of our registered dietitians will go over your medical records in detail. After they review your records and meet with you, they will suggest options for your personalized nutrition plan. We encourage you to bring your caregiver with you to your appointment, so you can both ask questions and better understand the nutrition recommendations and plan. We also suggest you write your questions down in a notebook before your first appointment. This will help make sure your questions get answered, and you’ll have a place to take notes.

If you are coming to us before or during cancer treatment

At your visit, we’ll discuss any issues or concerns you may have. You might need help managing a side effect. Or you might be wondering how you can stay as strong as possible and maintain your weight. Maybe you’re concerned you’ll have to eat certain foods or won’t be able to eat others. Whatever your questions or concerns, we are here to listen and to help develop a plan that works for you. 

Once we have a better understanding of your needs, we’ll ask you questions to better understand where you are right now — such as what you’re currently eating, any issues that have come up since your diagnosis and your weight history. We’ll also ask you about how active you are or are able to be. 

Our goal is to set nutrition goals with you by the end of this first appointment. Together, we’ll discuss in detail how we’ll change your diet to help you. When you leave your appointment, you should have a clear understanding of your nutrition goals, such as your calorie, protein and fluid needs; how to meet these needs if you have to change your diet due to treatment-related symptoms; and specific dietary strategies to help manage treatment-related symptoms like a sore mouth and throat, diarrhea or constipation. For example, many patients struggle with low appetite or feeling full quickly. Using a whole-foods approach, we will discuss eating smaller, more frequent meals, including calorie-dense foods such as nut butters or avocado, and the benefits of drinking calorie-protein-containing fluids like smoothies or soups.

Before you leave, we’ll figure out when you need to schedule your next appointment so we can follow up and see how the nutrition plan is working as well as address any new concerns or symptoms. If you are in active treatment and having difficulty meeting your nutrition goals, we’ll set a follow-up plan with you. Often, these appointments are every one to two weeks. If you develop new issues as you go through treatment, your physician will refer you to us for another appointment.

If you are coming to us for cancer prevention

Some Fred Hutch patients do not have cancer, but they’ve been identified as someone who is at high risk of developing a cancer. This might be due to their genetics, family history or other reasons. They often receive care from one of our prevention teams, such as our High Risk Surveillance Clinic, Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention Program or the Breast and Ovarian Cancer Prevention Program. We work closely with these teams and help people who are referred to us from them.

During your appointment, we’ll ask you about your current diet, find out about any food sensitivities or preferences and more. Once we have the answers and a better picture of your current diet and activity level, we’ll be able to offer nutrition recommendations. You’ll leave the appointment with an understanding of the foods that may increase your risk of developing cancer and how you can decrease that risk through the foods you choose to eat. 

If you need support after your cancer treatment (survivorship)

Once you have completed active treatment, you may return to Fred Hutch for survivorship or surveillance (monitoring) appointments. In addition, if you have any nutrition-related issues or questions, your physician will schedule an appointment for you with our team. At this appointment, a registered dietitian will ask you about your diet and develop an eating plan to manage any issues, including ongoing digestion, weight and/or metabolic issues such as high glucose or cholesterol levels. We’ll also review established guidelines from a diet perspective to reduce the risk of your cancer returning.