Assessing the risk of malnutrition in cancer patients during radiotherapy

Abstract

Radiotherapy is considered one of the most effective curative therapies for cancer, but it has multiple side effects, especially when the irradiation is on the oral or abdominal area of the body, with a negative impact on nutrition in terms of quantity and quality, as well as the way nutrients are assimilated in the body. The objective of this study was to assess the risk of malnutrition in cancer patients during radiotherapy. The methodology was based on the use of the NRS-2002 screening tool and a set of questions extracted from the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire related to the patient quality of life of a group of patients during radiationtreatment between September and December 2022. Results. From the group of 46 participants, 56.52% of the patients were identified with a moderate risk of malnutrition, and 92.30% of them benefited from personalized nutritional counseling. Weight change for the total group registered an average decrease of 0.71-0.77 kg. Symptoms such as decreased appetite were found in 23.91% of participants. According to the responses of the participants, the evaluation of the general state of health had an average score of 5.17 (out of 7), and the general quality of life had an average of 4.48 (out of 7). Following the dietary survey, all participants received general dietary recommendations, according to the ESPEN guidelines, and patients identified at risk of malnutrition received personalized nutritional counseling and indications for enteral nutrition (oral or gastrostomy solutions) to meet the caloric needs. In conclusion, the study proved the importance of early identification of malnutrition and personalized nutritional intervention for reducing anxiety related to food, increasing food intake, maintaining body weight, respectively a better management of manifested adverse effects and a better compliance with medical therapy.