Colon cancer surgery does not cause too much affection to patient’s dietary and daily life. Therefore, patients can establish balanced and regular dietary and life habit according to their personal condition. Here, experts from Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou are introducing to us the key of home care for colon cancer patients.

1. Colon cancer patients should eat food that is light, digestive and made of fresh and healthful raw materials. They can choose fresh fish, egg and lean meat, and eat more fresh vegetable and fruit to supplement fiber, so as to prevent constipation. Stimulating or hard food should be avoided. Flavoring, oil-fried and fatty food should be reduced. And it is recommended for colon cancer patients to chew carefully and swallow slowly when eating.

2. Patients are permitted to take shower or bath after the suture is removed and the wound completely recovers. Clothes should be loose, soft and flexible, and better made of natural cotton and flax. Do not tie the belt too tightly.

3. Appropriate exercise can strengthen patients’ physique, promote metabolism and improve their immunity. Patients should take exercise every day to maintain strength, including those who carry a stoma. It is permitted to choose some suitable exercises according to their hobbies and physical tolerance, but energetic exercises are forbidden. Moreover, patients should plan and adjust their exercise according to personal physical tolerance, like walking twice every day and 10-15 minutes per time. After getting used to it, patients can prolong the time of walking and walk for more times every day. Exercise should be reduced when patients feel discomfort. After their physical condition recovers, patients can go back to their daily work, but should still avoid heavy labor.

4. It is very important to observe the changes of colon cancer patients’ defecation both before and after surgery. First of all, patients should establish a good habit of defecation, namely, regular defecation daily and do not wait until the stools become hard. Otherwise, they will cause difficult defecation. Moreover, the massive toxin in the intestine can obstruct the recovery of the surgical wound. Patients should also pay attention to the color of the stools. If there is blood or mucus in stools, patients should be more careful. When abdominal pain or swelling and defecation failure occur, patients should go to hospital for examination.

5. During rehabilitation procedure, colon cancer patients should not go out to the public in cold days or changeable weather, so as to avoid being affected by other diseases and delaying rehabilitation.

*Surgery, in addition to the appropriate chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are effective in treating early cancer, but certain patients in late stage of cancer may not be tolerate surgery well as they can be relatively weak. A combination of carefully planned minimally invasive therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy can effectively reduce the side effects and discomfort of treatment and may help patient get better efficacy.