Nutrition and eating well are extremely important for cancer patients to help support their bodies through treatment and aid in recovery. That’s why we sat down with Carly Roop, MA, RDN, CSO, a Registered Dietitian and Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition at Penn Medicine, to learn about how she and her fellow Penn dieticians offer guidance and support to cancer patients. Carly has over 12 years of experience in oncology nutrition at the Abramson Cancer Center and currently works at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, specializing in lung and gastrointestinal cancers.
What is the difference between a registered dietitian and a certified nutritionist?
To become a registered dietitian (RD), you must obtain a bachelor’s degree or equivalent credits through an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) or Coordinated Program (CP) with a focus in dietetics at a university or college.
Following this, you must complete 1200 hours of supervised practice. Once this is complete, you can sit for the board examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). You must pass to become a registered dietitian certified through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Dietitians can specialize in the specific treatment of health conditions, such as cancer, or offer general nutrition advice in either a healthcare setting or private practice.
Certified nutritionists, on the other hand, can be accredited by organizations such as the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists (BCNS). However, in the U.S. not all states require certifications so training can vary. Like RDs, nutritionists can also focus on specific areas and pursue advanced qualifications in specific health areas such as weight management or sports nutrition.
What does a clinical dietitian specialist at the Abramson Cancer Center do?
At Penn Medicine, the clinical dietitian specialists are all RDs. As a clinical dietitian specialist, my colleagues and I work with patients referred by a member of their cancer treatment team or self-referred to enhance their nutrition intake during treatment. Often this involves a thorough nutrition assessment that incorporates a patients’ past medical history, current cancer diagnosis and treatment plan as well as labs, dietary intake preferences or allergies and weight history. This assessment informs our nutrition diagnosis and recommendations to help each person reduce nutrition-related side effects to minimize treatment delays.
Nutrition counseling may range from education on common cancer myths to recommendations for nutrition support. We collaborate with the care team to assist with managing nutrition-related side effects and recommendations for enhancing patients’ hydration and nutrition status.
We are very fortunate at Abramson Cancer Center that our services are included as part of a patient’s treatment plan, which allows us to work with a patient during their cancer treatment without limitations like insurance or co-pays.
What advice or guidance do you provide patients struggling with nutrition during treatment?
Let your care team know you are struggling with your nutrition during treatment and ask to speak with a clinical dietitian specialist, even if you just have a question. There are many nutrition-related side effects associated with some cancers and their treatments. Communicating any difficulties you’re having with eating and drinking enough to your team can prevent involuntary weight loss, which can lead to slower recovery and treatment delays.
I also strongly recommend that patients or their caregivers reach out to a registered dietitian directly and avoid looking for advice on social media or YouTube. Your dietitian will be familiar with your specific cancer type and treatment plan and can offer personalized advice with your needs in mind.
What support do you offer patients virtually?
During the height of the pandemic, our nutrition team created monthly virtual nutrition sessions which covered a variety of topics, from herbs and spices with cancer-fighting properties to heart-healthy diet recommendations. This year we are turning our attention to working with the support groups available for cancer patients. Many of our webinars and educational materials are available on Oncolink.
Are there certain foods that can reduce your cancer risk?
This is a question we get often from the patients we work with and the answer is YES! Eating a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes can help decrease your cancer risk as well as other chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. These foods are packed with phytochemicals (natural substances), which aid our immune system in protecting our cells from damage that can lead to cancer.
They are also high in nutrition while being low in calories which helps us maintain a healthy body weight. Maintaining a healthy body weight has been shown to reduce our cancer risk and risk of cancer recurrence. The American Institute of Cancer Research is an incredible resource for answering this question and learning more about the steps one can take to prevent cancer.
What makes the team of clinical dietitian specialists so special at Penn?
I work with a fantastic team of clinical dietitian specialists with over 50 years of clinical experience between us. Our collective experience means we’re uniquely qualified to work with our oncology population. We partner with your care team, and we are here as a resource to help you through your cancer treatment.
The clinical dietitian specialists at Abramson Cancer Center and Penn Radiation Oncology are also involved in other cancer organizations. Our accomplishments include research studies, published articles in professional journals, presenting posters, participating in panels and speaking at national meetings, writing chapters in oncology textbooks and being recognized by national organizations for our contributions to the community. My colleagues are very knowledgeable and passionate about their work which creates an exceptional and fun environment to be a part of and one that I truly am honored to belong to.