Research - Cancer

The traditional treatment for obesity which is based on a reduced caloric diet has only been partially successful. Contributing factors are not only a poor long-term dietary adherence but also a significant loss of lean body mass and subsequent reduction in energy expenditure. Both low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets and diets using low-glycaemic index (GI) foods are capable of inducing modest weight loss without specific caloric restriction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and medium-term effect of a low-fat diet with high (low GI) carbohydrates on weight loss, body composition changes and dietary compliance.

Loss of muscle mass is a key characteristic of malnutrition. Bioimpedance is an available technology capable of generating measures of lean tissue at the bed-side. We compared the utility of two different bioimpedance approaches, multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MF-BIA) and bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. Variables of interest were 50 kHz phase angle (PA), 200 kHz/5 kHz impedance ratio (IR), fat-free mass (FFM), total body water (TBW), extracellular water (ECW), and the ratio of ECW/TBW.

Malignancies of tongue represent one of the greatest management challenges for the head and neck oncologists because of the adverse effects of treatment on oral and pharyngeal functions. Diagnosis at later stages results
in poor treatment outcomes and considerable costs to patients. Bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA)-derived phase angle offers an emerging opportunity to assess prognosis in these malignancies.

A frequent manifestation of advanced lung cancer is malnutrition, timely identification and treatment of which can lead to improved patient outcomes. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is an easy-to-use and non-invasive technique to evaluate changes in body composition and nutritional status. We investigated the prognostic role of BIA-derived phase angle in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Elevated degree of body fatness and changes in other body composition parameters are known to be common effects of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children. In order to study peculiarities of somatic growth and development in ALL survivors, we describe the results of BIA body composition analysis of 112 boys and 108 girls aged 5-18 years in remission from ALL (remission time range 1-13 years) compared to data from the same number of age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n=220).

Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA) derived phase angle is increasingly being used as an objective indicator of nutritional status in advanced cancer. Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) is a subjective method of nutritional status. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between BIA derived phase angle and SGA in advanced colorectal cancer.

A woman’s risk at birth of having ovarian cancer at some point in her lifetime is 1–1.5% and mortality due to the disease is almost 0.5%. It accounts for 3% of all cancers in females. Despite a low contributory percentage, it remains the fifth leading cause of cancer related death. This is because most ovarian cancers are detected when they have spread beyond the ovary. Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) affords an emerging opportunity to assess prognosis because of its ability to non invasively assess cell and plasma membrane structure and function by means of phase angle.

Worldwide breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed life threatening cancer and the leading cause of death in women. Bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) affords an emerging opportunity to assess prognosis because of its ability to non invasively assess cell and plasma membrane structure and function by means of phase angle.

Aging patients with cancer have a higher risk of mortality and treatment-associated morbidity than younger patients. Nutrition status may play an important role in cancer mortality. We aimed to evaluate the survival time of elderly patients with colorectal cancer and its association with body mass index (BMI), the patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA), and phase angle (PA). Materials and Methods: BMI, PG-SGA, and PA were determined for all patients (n = 250) at first assessment.

Progressive loss of muscle mass is a major characteristic of cancer cachexia. Consensus definitions for cachexia provide different options to measure muscle mass. This study describes the effect of different methods to determine muscle mass on the diagnosis of cancer cachexia. In addition, the association of cachexia with other features of cachexia, quality of life, and survival was explored.