Nutritional status of children with solid tumors

Abstract

BACKGROUND The purposes of the study were to evaluate prospectively the nutritional status of children with solid tumors who were receiving chemotherapy, to find the most sensitive parameter of protein energy malnutrition, and to determine whether the stage of disease and aggressiveness of chemotherapy have any influence on nutritional status. METHODS Fifty patients were followed prospectively from the time of diagnosis throughout chemotherapy. Serum albumin, prealbumin, and weight were measured at the time of diagnosis and before each course of chemotherapy. RESULTS At diagnosis, only 2.7% of patients had albumin levels < 3.5 g/dL whereas 36% had prealbumin levels below the normal limit. All patients showed a weight increment of 81 g/day (P = 0.0001), an albumin increment of 0.001 U/day (P = 0.0001), and a prealbumin increment of 0.044 U/day (P = 0.0407). The change in prealbumin values was much more prominent (10‐fold higher) in children age < 2 years. Changes in albumin values were not statistically significant by stage of disease but the increment of prealbumin did show statistical significance, which was most prominent in patients with Stage IV disease CCG (children's cancer group classification ) (P = 0.0003). The intensity of chemotherapy had no influence on changes in weight or albumin levels. However, it did influence changes in prealbumin levels, which were most pronounced in the group receiving high dose chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Based on the results of the current study, the authors believe prealbumin is the most powerful test overall with which to evaluate the nutritional status of children with solid tumors both at the time of diagnosis and throughout chemotherapy. Cancer 1999;86:119–25. © 1999 American Cancer Society.

Relationship between nutritional status and treatment-related neutropenia in children with nephroblastoma

“…24,25 In this study, 70% of the patients were classified as well-nourished when albumin was used in isolation, and only 14% of patients had a serum albumin of < 32 g/l. This is consistent with another report, which showed that only 13% (16 out of 127) of children with cancer aged 0-18 years were found to have a serum albumin of < 32 g/l.…”

The Effectiveness of Enteral Nutrition Support in the Growth of Children Patients with Cancer

“…The clinical usefulness of serum albumin, with a biological half-life of approximately 20 days, is restricted by its inability to identify short term nutritional status variations and by a tendency to extravascular extravasation. In contrast, the rapid turnover of prealbumin (with a much briefer half-life, of approximately 2 days), which is less influenced by changes in body fluids than serum albumin, allows cancer patients to be monitored on a day-to-day basis [17]. Elhasid et al [17] evaluated biochemical indices rather than anthropometric indices among 50 children with solid tumors.…”

“…In contrast, the rapid turnover of prealbumin (with a much briefer half-life, of approximately 2 days), which is less influenced by changes in body fluids than serum albumin, allows cancer patients to be monitored on a day-to-day basis [17]. Elhasid et al [17] evaluated biochemical indices rather than anthropometric indices among 50 children with solid tumors. They observed that 36% had lower prealbumin levels than normal at time of diagnosis.…”

Initial Anthropometric Values and Nutritional Status is Related to Survival in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

“…23 Many stu di es ha ve shown that pre al bu min con cen tra ti on is a sen si ti ve and cost ef fec ti ve method in de tec ting the se ve rity of mal nut ri ti on in pati ents with eit her se ri o us or chro nic di se a ses, as well as in can cer pa ti ents. [24][25][26] In the lat ter, pre albu min me a su re ment is a test that can disc lo se prote in-energy mal nut ri ti on. In the pre sent study, se rum al bu min and pre al bu min we re fo und to be cor re la ted with lo wer sur vi val pe ri ods, be ing factors for po or prog no sis.…”