UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Objective:Cancer cachexia occurs in significant number of patients (pts) with cancer. Benefit of nutrition support still remains unclear. To examine does nutritional support (counseling, oral liquids, megestrol acetate) has influence on nutritional status and symptoms prevalence in patients with colorectal cancer during chemotherapy.

Methods:We retrospectively (group A) examined data of 173 patients who were treated in 3 years period without nutritional counseling. Prospectively (group B-215) patients, we offered to our patients individualized nutritional counseling, liquid supplementation, and megestrole acetate. Dietary intake (Nottingham Screening Tool Score) and body weight (Body Mass Index) were monitored before, during and after chemotherapy. The nutritional plan was modified when necessary.

Results:During 6 years period we were treating 388 patients with colorectal cancer. Baseline, in both groups about 55% of patients were moderately or severe malnourished. In group A during chemotherapy 140 (80.9%) of patients decreased in weight gaine 2-5 kg and 77 (44.5%) were severe malnourished on the end of chemotherapy. In group B, 184 (85.6%) of patients gain weight. The effect of nutritional support was most expressed in the group receiving megestrol acetate and nutritional counseling after 4 weeks of therapy. Average weight gaine was 1.5 kg (0.6-2.8). With nutritional support, our patients with colorectal cancer gain weight and had better Quality of Life during chemotherapy