Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis, Malnutrition Risk, and Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The present cross-sectional prospective study (from January 2017 until December 2020) aimed to evaluate the interrelation between nutritional parameters at the initial evaluation with the changes in QOL indicators and the Progression-Free Survival and Overall Survival in 97 patients with pancreatic cancer. Dietary and nutritional risk assessments, and an evaluation of Frailty and Functional Status were performed. Health-related Quality of Life was evaluated with the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Nutritional risk, as evaluated by MNA-SF score, was negatively associated with age (p = 0.003) and positively associated with dynamometry (p = 0.001). In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in the financial difficulties (p = 0.049). OS and PFS were found to decrease in patients who reported having increased fatigue (OS p = 0.007 and PFS p = 0.044). Moreover, higher prevalence of constipation resulted in lower OS and PFS (OS p < 0.001 and PFS p < 0.001) and increased reporting of gastrointestinal problems during the 3 months was connected with lower survival (OS p = 0.017). According to the analysis, our patients were found to have lower OS and PFS, stressing out the necessity to provide early identification and management to symptoms of the disease that could compromise nutritional status. The provision of nutritional advice and guidance is of major importance for patients.

The Effect of immunonutrition in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…However, we did not observe a significant effect on non-infectious complications, POPF, DGE, SIRS duration, mortality, or immune and inflammatory markers such as IL-6 and CRP. Pancreatic cancer patients commonly experience nutritional abnormalities and cachexia, with up to 85% reporting malnutrition and nearly 71% of those with pancreatic and periampullary cancers experiencing cachexia, which is associated with a higher mortality rate [24,25]. Thus, the nutritional status of patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy should be closely monitored.…”

Effect of the preoperative prognostic nutritional index on the long-term prognosis in patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer after pancreaticoduodenectomy

“…A prospective study of 97 patients with pancreatic cancer by Poulia et al. ( 20 ) showed that impaired preoperative nutritional status was associated with shorter RFS and OS. Therefore, the preoperative evaluation of the nutritional and immune status of patients with BRPC is very important for the choice of treatment.…”

Nutritional Status and Cancer: Early Detection of Malnutrition and Sarcopenia in Elderly Patients at High Risk for Cachexia by Using a Multi-Score Protocol

“…The ability of the subject to digest, absorb and metabolize food is compromised and then weight loss can be severe. In patients with head and neck cancer [35], instead, weight loss was explained as a side effect of cancer treatment; chemo and radiation therapies, or even surgery, can damage the mouth parts or the rst sections of the digestive tract, making it hard chewing, swallowing, compromising the salivary secretion and the digestive enzyme activity. These patients were in fact the majority of those who reported symptoms such as dry mixing bowl, loss of taste and smell, and decreased salivary secretion.…”