Nutrition for Bladder Cancer Patients

Eating well is very important for people with bladder cancer, both before and after treatment. Good nutrition works even better when combined with regular physical activity. Having a nutrition plan can help you heal after surgery and stay healthy overall. Eating the right foods helps you stay strong, heal wounds faster, move better, and lower your chances of problems after surgery. It also helps prevent muscle loss, which is called sarcopenia. After bladder surgery, following a healthy eating plan will help your body get the nutrients it needs to recover.

Before Surgery:

Getting your body ready with good nutrition before surgery, which is called “prehabilitation,” can help you heal better and avoid problems. It is important to avoid poor nutrition and keep your muscles strong by eating a balanced diet. Eating enough protein is very important during this time because it helps your muscles stay healthy and helps your body heal. Be sure to eat good sources of protein like lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy products, beans, and lentils. Also, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and make sure you are eating enough calories. This will help you stay strong and lower the chance of problems after surgery, such as infections or slow healing.

After Bladder Removal Surgery:

• Eat small, frequent meals to support your healing bowels and a shrunken stomach.
• Drink at least 64 ounces (or 2L) of water or liquids per day to help keep your kidneys clear, thin the mucus produced by your intestines, and keep stools soft.
• Expect to produce mucus from the parts of your intestines used for the urinary diversion, likely for the rest of your life. Drinking plenty of water will help manage this and can help reduce the risk of urinary infection.
• Soups and stews are easy to digest and offer a way to get high nutrition for healing – try adding grated vegetables for extra nutrients.
• In the first weeks post-surgery, avoid fats and high-fiber foods like popcorn and raw or undercooked vegetables, which can be difficult for your healing digestive system to process.

We offer 1.5 hour virtual group education sessions, and one-on-one clinical appointments with a Clinical Dietitian. These sessions are designed to help you achieve your individual nutrition goals and support your recovery. We recommend patient to enroll before bladder removal surgery.

It’s never too early or too late to make positive changes for your health. Even small adjustments to your daily nutrition and lifestyle can have a significant impact on your well-being.

Please visit the Session Dates page to find the time and date of our next Nutrition Education session. To attend the session or book a clinical appointment, please contact the program assistant.

Additional Resources

Bladder Cancer Canada – Patient Guidebook
Understanding Bladder Cancer and Nutrition

Upcoming Session Dates

Click here for a list of upcoming sessions

**YouTube video recording will be available soon