Phase angle as a potential tool to evaluate chronic inflammatory state and predict quality of life deterioration in women with breast cancer and obesity: A narrative review

Abstract

The interaction between lifestyle, known as the personal exposome, and its implications on obesity and breast cancer development highlights the critical role of body composition and inflammation in these patients. There is clear evidence of how the personal and internal exposome triggers biochemical, inflammatory, and metabolic reprogramming, which might favor ectopic lipid accumulation within organs, such as muscles. Additionally, the presence of excessive adipose tissue exacerbates these alterations in the internal exposome resulting in cell damage and modifying body composition. Understanding the nexus between these lifestyle-induced exposome modifications, such as inflammation, and the resultant changes in body composition is crucial to assess the association with breast cancer progression and treatment responses.Different techniques can evaluate body composition; one of the most used currently is the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). This analysis provides parameters, such as phase angle (PhA), that assess cellular health and metabolic activity. In addition, PhA is a potential indicator of nutritional status and disease prognosis, as it has been linked to survival and quality of life in patients with cancer. Therefore, PhA might be used in daily oncology practice to implement an accurate nutritional intervention, reducing side effects and complications of oncology management, and improving quality of life during treatment and survival, even in breast cancer (BC) patients with obesity or overweight. The aim of this review is to analyze the existing information on the current application of PhA in breast cancer patients and its potential use as a tool to assess inflammatory response, identify malnutrition, and predict the deterioration of quality of life so that it could be proposed as an early indicator of nutritional interventions in this group of patients.