2117P - Dietary patterns and clinical outcomes in patients with lung cancer: What needs to change

Background

The provision of nutrients in adequate quantity and quality is essential for the treatment of low muscle mass, which is highly found in patients with lung cancer (LC). Identifying an early deficit in food consumption is recommended as a strategy to preserve muscle and weight compartments that directly impact treatment tolerance, functionality and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate whether caloric and protein intake at diagnosis are predictive of outcomes in patients with LC.

Methods

This is a prospective, observational study. Data were collected at the first nutritional consultation between January and December 2019 and consisted of nutritional risk screening for cancer patients, height, body weight, weight loss, calf circumference, handgrip strength measured using a dynamometer and 24-hour recall to estimate average food and macronutrient intake. Survival curves were generated by Kaplan-Meier analysis to assess the association between caloric and protein intake and 3-year mortality.

Results

A total of 50 patients with LC were included, 62% were female, 94% elderly, 88% with non-small cell lung cancer, 88% were diagnosed with disease stages III and IV, and 64% were smokers. Weight-adjusted mean daily intake of energy was 18.6 kcal/kg/day and protein 0.94g/kg/day, and 86% and 60% had lower energy and protein intakes, respectively, than the recommended for patients with cancer. Individuals with consumption greater than 1g/kg/day had significantly longer overall survival with 35,2 versus 21,9 months than those with consumption lower than the recommendation for patients with cancer (p=0.03). There was no statistical difference according to the caloric intake (>25kcal/kg/day versus <25kcal/kg/day) (p=0.20).

Conclusions

Caloric and protein intake at diagnosis is low in patients with LC, and a lower protein intake was a predictor of negative results. Nutritional interventions are low-cost and can be easily implemented as a strategy to modify these results and improve care for these individuals.

Clinical trial identification

Research Ethics Committee approval CAAE: 19918319.1.0000.5533.

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

Grupo Oncoclínicas / Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.