Diet and exercise after acute myeloid leukaemia

Men and women discussing acute myeloid leukaemia

This page tells you about diet and exercise after treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). There is information about

A quick guide to what's on this page
Lifestyle after AML treatment
Diet and AML
Exercise and AML

Diet and AML

Diet plays an important part in coping with leukaemia and its treatment. A good, well balanced diet can help you feel stronger, have more energy, and recover more quickly. While you are having treatment, you might have lost weight. If you still find it difficult to eat after your treatment has finished, you can try high calorie and high protein drinks. But you should begin to feel better and be able to eat a normal diet. This can take a while after intensive treatment, such as a bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant. Many people look at their diet and make changes, deciding to choose healthier options.

Exercise and AML

Exercise is a great way to help you feel better, both physically and emotionally. But it is important not to overdo it. How much you can do will depend on how fit you are and how you feel. You will probably have days when you don’t have so much energy. Listen to your body and build up slowly.

Gentle walking is suitable for most people to start with. Once your white blood count is back to normal and you don’t have a central line any more you can go swimming. Interestingly, taking regular exercise can help to reduce tiredness (fatigue) after treatment. Talk to your doctor if you aren’t sure about how much you can do.

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Many people ask us about what they should eat and what exercise they can do after they have had treatment. Exactly what you can do will vary. It depends on the treatment you have had, and how fit you were before your leukaemia. This page gives you some idea about where to start. If you have had a stem cell transplant or bone marrow transplant, have a look in the life after transplant section for specific advice.

Diet plays an important part in coping with cancer and its treatment. A good, well balanced diet can help you feel stronger, have more energy, and recover more quickly.

After treatment, most people can eat whatever they want. While you were having treatment, your weight may have changed. You might have lost weight. This may be because of the side effects of your treatment including

Loss of appetite
Taste changes
Sickness
A sore mouth
Diarrhoea

If you still find it difficult to eat, you can try high calorie and high protein drinks. You may have had these drinks during treatment. Once your treatment has finished though, you should begin to feel better and be able to eat a normal diet. This can take a while after intensive treatment.

When they are diagnosed with cancer, many people look at their diet and make changes, deciding to choose healthier options. For example

Eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day
Eating less fat and salt
Drinking alcohol within the guidelines – the maximum is 2 units a day for women and 3 units for men

All of these things help you to recover and aim to keep you healthy. You can find out about eating problems in our section about coping physically with cancer. You can find out about a healthy diet on Cancer Research UK’s news and resources website.

Talk to your doctor if you aren’t sure about how much you can do. You can read about exercise and cancer in our cancer treatment question and answers.