Before or after surgery, you may need a feeding tube to help you manage issues with eating and drinking, and get the nutrition you need.
You may receive all of your nutrition through this tube, or it may be used to supplement the food you eat.
| When feeding tubes are used | Some people with stomach cancer will have a feeding tube before and/or during treatment to help them maintain their weight and build up their strength. The feeding tube may also be needed after surgery until it is possible to eat and drink normally. You can be given specially prepared feeding formula through this tube. If you go home with the feeding tube in place, a dietitian will let you know the type and amount of feeding formula you need to take. |
| How feeding tubes can help | Many people find that having a feeding tube is a more comfortable way to stay well nourished if the cancer is making eating and drinking difficult. Medicines can also be given through some feeding tubes, although you cannot do this with very small feeding tubes because they may become blocked. If you are unsure about putting certain medicines through the feeding tube, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or dietitian. |
| How feeding tubes are placed | A feeding tube can be placed into your small bowel or stomach either through a nostril (nasojejunal or nasogastric tube) or with an operation that places a tube through the skin of your abdomen (gastrostomy or jejunostomy tube). |
| How to care for a feeding tube | Your treatment team will show you how to care for the tube to keep it clean and prevent leaking and blockages, and when to replace the tube. You can avoid getting infections by washing your hands before using the tube, and keeping the tube and your skin dry. Your doctor will remove the feeding tube when it is no longer required. |
| How to cope with a feeding tube | Having a feeding tube is a major change and it’s common to have a lot of questions. Getting used to having a feeding tube takes time. For information, talk to a dietitian or nurse. A counsellor or psychologist can provide emotional support and coping strategies. |
→ READ MORE: Radiation therapy for oesophageal cancer
Podcast: Coping with a Cancer Diagnosis
Listen to more of our podcast for people affected by cancer
More resources
Prof David I Watson, Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor of Surgery, Flinders University, and Senior Consultant Surgeon, Oesophago-Gastric Surgery Unit, Flinders Medical Centre, SA; Prof Bryan Burmeister, Senior Radiation Oncologist, GenesisCare Fraser Coast and Hervey Bay Hospital, QLD; Kieran Cahill, Consumer; Jessica Jong, Clinical Dietitian, Upper GI and Hepatobiliary Services, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; John Leung, Consumer; Prof Rajvinder Singh, Professor of Medicine, University of Adelaide, and Director, Gastroenterology Department and Head of Endoscopy, Lyell McEwin Hospital, SA; Dr Sarah Sutherland, Medical Oncologist, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Paula Swannock, Upper GI Cancer Nurse Consultant, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, VIC; Rebecca Yeoh, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Queensland.
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.
