Abstract
Weight maintenance is a priority in cancer care, but weight loss is common and a serious concern. This study explores if there are sex differences in the perception of weight loss and its association to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and body image. Cancer patients admitted to Advanced Medical Home Care were recruited to answer a questionnaire, including characteristics, the HRQoL-questionnaire RAND-36, and a short form of the Body Image Scale. Linear regression analyses stratified by sex and adjusted for age were performed to examine associations between percent weight loss and separate domains of HRQoL and body image score in men and women separately. In total, 99 participants were enrolled, of which 80 had lost weight since diagnosis. In men, an inverse association between weight loss and the HRQoL-domain physical functioning, β = −1.34 (95%CI: −2.44, −0.24), and a positive association with body image distress, β = 0.22 (95%CI: 0.07, 0.37), were found. In women, weight loss was associated with improvement in the HRQoL-domain role limitations due to physical health, β = 2.02 (95%CI: 0.63, 3.41). Following a cancer diagnosis, men appear to experience weight loss more negatively than women do. Recognizing different perceptions of weight loss may be of importance in clinical practice.
Highlights
Malnutrition and weight loss are serious consequences following a cancer diagnosis and its treatment [1] and are commonly found already at the first oncology-related visit [2]
While muscle loss in advanced cancer is more prevalent in men than in women [5,6], a change in body composition with involuntary muscle loss has been shown to be critical for quality of life (QoL) and mortality [7,8]
The aim of this study was to advance the understanding of the perception of weight loss following a cancer diagnosis, by examining how it relates to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and body image, and whether there are sex differences
Summary
Malnutrition and weight loss are serious consequences following a cancer diagnosis and its treatment [1] and are commonly found already at the first oncology-related visit [2]. Diagnostic criteria for malnutrition include percent weight loss, low body mass index (BMI, kg/m2), reduced food intake or assimilation, inflammation, and reduced muscle mass [4]. Weight loss is challenging to treat in this population and often requires both volitional and artificial nutrition interventions [10,11,12]. For this reason, dietary interventions are advised to be initiated early [13], as this improves the chances to prevent weight loss [14]
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