Does nutritional status affect treatment tolerability, chemotherapy response and survival in metastatic gastric cancer patients? Results of a prospective multicenter study in Turkey

• Published in: Journal of oncology pharmacy practice 2022-01, Vol.28 (1), p.127-134
• Main Authors: Karabulut, Senem, Dogan, Izzet, Usul Afsar, Cigdem, Karabulut, Mehmet, Ak, Naziye, Duran, Ali, Tastekin, Didem
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma; Body mass index; Body weight loss; Chemotherapy; Diarrhea; Gastric cancer; Hematology; Malnutrition; Metastases; Metastasis; Nausea; Neuropathy; Nutritional status; Patients; Survival; Toxicity; Tumors; Vomiting
• ISSN: 1078-1552; 1477-092X
• DOI: 10.1177/1078155220987291

Background The possible impact of malnutrition on the efficacy and tolerability of modern chemotherapy for metastatic gastic adenocarcinoma (mGC) patients is unclear. With this study, we aimed to represent the possible impact of malnutrition on the efficacy and tolerability of chemotherapy, and also on the overall survival of mGC patients. Methods In this prospective multicenter study, we collected demographic, oncological and nutritional data of our mGC patients. The nutritional status of patients were assessed with the Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight loss percentage within 21-day period, between the chemotherapy cycles. All of these parameters along with toxicity assessment were evaluated after each courses of chemotherapy in order to determine inter-treatment weight loss. NRIs were calculated with a formula as follows; [1.519 × serum albumin level(g/L) + 41.7 × current weight/basic weight]. Patients were classified as having ‘no malnutrition’ (NRI > 97.5), ‘moderate malnutrition’ (97.5 ≥ NRI ≥ 83.5) or ‘severe malnutrition’ (NRI