The Regional Cancer Center is using National Nutrition Month to educate patients on their dietary needs.
The waiting rooms were turned into sampling stations on Wednesday, with foods to meet the different needs of patients during treatment.
Nutrition is an important part of the center's overall treatment approach, and patients may need to manipulate their diet to fight side effects.
The dietician on staff, Karen Schnaekel, said it makes a significant difference in the way the body handles things like chemotherapy and radiation.
"We find that patients who are not well nourished during treatment have more side effects," Schnaekel said. "Their side effects are more pronounced and can sometimes interrupt their treatment, so it makes it more difficult for them to get the medication and the radiation that they need."
The center counsels patients on their nutritional needs during, and after, treatment.
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