Abstract

SANCHEZ SANCHEZ, Eduardo  and  MUNOZ ALFEREZ, María José. Factors which influence the lean mass loss in cancer patients. Nutr. Hosp. [online]. 2015, vol.32, n.4, pp.1670-1675. ISSN 1699-5198.  https://dx.doi.org/10.3305/nh.2015.32.4.9496.

Introduction: cancer is an important illness in the sanitary field due to phisic and functional consequences involved in it. Among these consequences there is the malnutrition which can cause a loss of lean mass and with it a decrease in the Quality of Life, an increase in hospital stays, social and health costs and so on. The aim of this research is to know which factors can influence in the loss of the lean mass. Material and methods: it is a cross-sectional study in a sample of 72 patients who receive a radiotherapy with curative intent during a period from February 07^th and May 14^th, 2014. Results: from this pattern Of the total 64 patients were studied, of which 43.7% of the patients presented loss of lean mass, with 21.8% the percentage of patients losing < 2%, 4.7% those with a loss between 2-5% and > 5%, 17.2% of patients. Among the factors studied that can influence the loss of lean mass, only the presence of digestive symptoms have statistical significance (OR = 3.3 or 6.6, as we take as a reference the percentage loss). Conclusions: the aim of the health staff who are working with these patients is to avoid the consequences that accompanies the loss of lean mass. For all this, it is very important to act before the digestive symptoms, by anticipating to them, or early implementation of an individualized nutritional intervention.

Keywords : Loss off lean mass; Oncology; Digestive symptoms; Malnutrition; Cachexia.

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