Influence of chemoradiotherapy on nutritional status, functional capacity, quality of life and toxicity of treatment for patients with cervical cancer

Abstract

Assess the influence of chemoradiotherapy on the nutritional status, functional capacity and quality of life (QoL), associating these indicators at baseline with toxicity and interruption of oncologic treatment in women with cervical cancer. Methods: Prospective cohort study performed on 49 women diagnosed with cervical cancer, who underwent treat ment between August 2015 and January 2016. For data collection, two appointments were conducted by the lead researcher: the first occurred the day before the first chemotherapy session (T0) and the other at the end of chemo therapy session (T1). Nutritional status was measured by anthropometry (weight, height, mid-upper arm circumfer ence and triceps skinfold thickness) and computed tomography (skeletal muscle index—SMI), functional capacity by handgrip strength (HGS) and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), and application of QoL questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). Results: The average age was 45 13.8 years and 81.6% of the women were diagnosed in stages II and III. There was significant reduction in HGS, KPS and QoL between T0 and T1, in addition to a significant QoL reduction accord ing to worsening nutritional status. The interruption of chemotherapy was significantly associated with the variables of nutritional status assessed at baseline. Women who interrupted treatment due to acute toxicity also had a signifi cant lower median SMI than those who concluded the treatment and 83% of these patients presented cachexia. Conclusions: Chemoradiotherapy treatment in patients with cervical cancer had changed negative nutritional parameters, function capacity and QoL, and poor nutritional status at baseline was associated with chemotherapy interruption