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01-02-2021 | Breast Cancer | Original Article

Impact of weight loss on cancer patients’ quality of life at the beginning of the chemotherapy

Authors: Elena Álvaro Sanz, Jimena Abilés, Margarita Garrido Siles, Elísabeth Pérez Ruíz, Julia Alcaide García, Antonio Rueda Domínguez

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 2/2021

Abstract

Purpose

Among the prognostic factors relevant to the condition of oncological patients, nutritional status (NS) has the greatest single impact on quality of life (QL). The goals of our study were to evaluate the influence of NS, weight loss (WL), and the presence of cachexia, prior to the initiation of chemotherapy, on the patient’s QL.

Methods

Adult patients (aged ≥ 18 years) diagnosed with solid tumours for whom chemotherapy was started between April 2016 and June 2017 were eligible for inclusion in the study. They were asked to complete a QL questionnaire (Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment (FACT-G)) at the beginning. The presence or absence of cachexia was evaluated at the outset, following the definition proposed by Fearon and nutritional assessment by the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) scale.

Results

A total of 177 patients completed the FACT-G, the 60% receiving curative therapy. At the start of the treatment, 58.2% of patients had experienced WL, with an average of 4.4 ± 7.4%, and 19% were at risk of malnutrition. Patient who presented cachexia at diagnosis, were treated with palliative intention, had a Nutriscore ≥ 5 points or presented malnutrition in accordance with PG-SGA had a poorer QL (p < 0.05). Greater WL was associated with a worsened QL (p = 0.001). Breast cancer patients presented an inverse correlation between the %WL and the initial score in the FACT-G (r = − 0.304, p = 0.023), whereas no such correlation was observed for the other types of tumour (r = − 0.012, p = 0.892).

Conclusions

These results underline the relation of NS before starting chemotherapy and QL. Greater WL was associated with a worsened QL, especially in women with breast cancer.

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Title: Impact of weight loss on cancer patients’ quality of life at the beginning of the chemotherapy
Authors: Elena Álvaro Sanz
Jimena Abilés
Margarita Garrido Siles
Elísabeth Pérez Ruíz
Julia Alcaide García
Antonio Rueda Domínguez
Publication date: 01-02-2021
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keywords: Breast Cancer
Underweight
Malnutrition
Breast Cancer
Underweight
Cytostatic Therapy
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 2/2021
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05496-9

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