ABSTRACT
Over a period of three months circumferences of the upper and lower arm were measured in 334 patients previously treated for breast cancer. Lymphoedema was found in 25 (7.5%) of these patients. The total number of patients with breast cancer who had lymphoedema in one year in Ribe Amt was calculated to 40. As more than one half of the patients only had modest or no subjective symptoms, it is expected that about 20 patients pr. year need manual lymph drainage, and about 20 patients need prophylactic physiotherapy. It was found that the risk for increased circumference of the upper arm was correlated to axillary radiotherapy and the total number of lymph nodes removed from the axilla. The risk of increased circumference of the lower arm was correlated to chemotherapy.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/surgery , Drainage/methods , Lymphedema/etiology , Postoperative Complications , Adult , Aged , Axilla/radiation effects , Breast Neoplasms, Male/surgery , Combined Modality Therapy , Denmark/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Incidence , Lymph Node Excision/adverse effects , Lymphedema/surgery , Lymphedema/therapy , Male , Middle Aged , Postoperative Complications/surgery , Postoperative Complications/therapy , Risk FactorsSubject(s)
Neoplasms/psychology , Quality of Life , Humans , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Neoplasms/mortality , SurvivorsSubject(s)
Carcinogens/analysis , Diet , Neoplasms/prevention & control , Animals , Food Contamination/analysis , Humans , RiskABSTRACT
Food intake and nutritional status were estimated in 34 cancer patients (14 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 20 patients with relapse of different cancers) and 25 healthy subjects (control group). A two-month dietary history based on Burke's method was used to estimate food intake. Nutritional status was expressed by weight, anthropometric parameters and hematologic parameters. The patients' intake of cheese, eggs, rye bread, and poultry was reduced compared to controls. The difference in food preferences resulted in a higher energy supply from carbohydrate and a lower intake of indigestible carbohydrate, vitamin B12, iron and iodine in patients than in controls. The groups did not differ in anthropometric parameters, but a decreased total serum protein, albumin and hemoglobin was observed in patients, whereas their alpha-globulin levels were increased. Thus, food preferences in cancer patients seem to be associated with insufficient intake of nutrients.
Subject(s)
Energy Intake , Food Preferences , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/diet therapy , Nutritional Status , Body Weight , Diet , Female , Humans , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/diagnosis , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
The food intake and the nutritional status was assessed before and during radiotherapy in 30 patients with local bladder tumours. Eighteen patients received preoperative treatment (42 Gy/4 weeks, followed by cystectomy), and 12 patients received potential curative treatment (63 Gy/6 weeks). Fourteen patients had small tumours (category I-II) and 16 patients large tumours (category III-IV). Four weeks radiotherapy did not affect energy or protein intake, but category I-II patients had a higher intake (163% of basal metabolic rate (BMR)) than category III-IV patients (138% of BMR) after 4 weeks radiotherapy (p less than 0.06). The energy intake in patients treated for 6 weeks was decreased from 147% of BMR to 122% (p less than 0.01). The mean energy intake in category III-IV patients was correlated to weight loss (Rs = -0.51, p less than 0.05). After 4 weeks radiotherapy the change in weight was for category III-IV patients greater than for category I-II patients. The other changes in antropometric and biochemical parameters (fat-free body mass (FFM), body fat, arm muscle circumference, serum albumin, serum transferrin) were small and insignificant. If the patients were grouped according to age, tumour category, histologic grade, treatment, weight/height (W/H) index and changes in weight and antropometric parameters, it was found that only W/H index and changes in weight during 4 weeks radiotherapy had significant influence on survival. The significance of W/H index was closely related to tumour classification.
Subject(s)
Body Weight/radiation effects , Energy Intake/radiation effects , Energy Metabolism/radiation effects , Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Anthropometry , Body Composition/radiation effects , Combined Modality Therapy , Dietary Proteins/administration & dosage , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Radiotherapy DosageABSTRACT
The spontaneous food intake and nutritional status was assessed in 23 patients with small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung before and two times during a treatment period of 6 weeks. Radiation therapy was given for 2 weeks followed by a course of chemotherapy and another 2 weeks of radiation therapy. The energy intake decreased during the treatment from 146 to 130 per cent of basal metabolic rate (p greater than 0.10). The protein intake remained unchanged (mean 0.9 g/kg body weight). There were insignificant and small losses of weight, body fat, free body mass and arm muscle circumference, and no changes were seen in serum albumin and serum transferrin. However, 6 patients suffered a weight loss of 5 per cent or more. No correlation existed between the nutritional parameters measured before treatment and the changes during treatment. Patients who suffered a loss of body weight could therefore not be singled out before the treatment.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Small Cell/metabolism , Lung Neoplasms/metabolism , Carcinoma, Small Cell/drug therapy , Carcinoma, Small Cell/radiotherapy , Carcinoma, Small Cell/therapy , Combined Modality Therapy , Dietary Proteins/metabolism , Energy Metabolism , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/diet therapy , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Lung Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Serum Albumin/metabolism , Transferrin/bloodABSTRACT
During a period of 17 months, 98 consecutive patients with malignant lymphoma were examined for initial staging before therapy. Both CT and lymphography were performed in 58 patients (19 patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 39 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL], and these were included in the investigation. The results were discrepant in 26 cases where lymph node lesions were detected by only one of the two methods. In 10 patients, 5 with HD and 5 with NHL, the positive finding by one of the methods was taken as determinant of the stage. The conclusion drawn was that CT cannot completely replace lymphography without losing important information. Owing to limited resources for lymphography and CT a reduced staging programme is proposed. Judging by the present results, this reduced programme would probably mean only a minimal loss of information.
Subject(s)
Hodgkin Disease/diagnostic imaging , Lymph Nodes/diagnostic imaging , Lymphoma/diagnostic imaging , Biopsy , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Hodgkin Disease/pathology , Humans , Lymph Nodes/pathology , Lymphography/methods , Lymphoma/pathology , Neoplasm Staging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methodsABSTRACT
Nutritional status and food intake were recorded for 28 patients with cancer of the larynx and 13 patients with cancer of the pharynx. All patients were without distant metastases and received radiotherapy with a curative intent. No patients were nutritionally depleted when treatment began. Treatment did not induce changes in nutritional status or food intake in patients with cancer of the larynx. The mean energy intake was 135% of the basal metabolic rate (BMR), and the protein intake was 1 g/kg/day. Inversely, patients with cancer of the pharynx suffered a mean loss of body weight of 5 kg (p less than .01), which was almost equally divided between fat tissue (-2.2 kg) and fat-free cell mass (-2.6 kg). There were only minor or no changes in serum albumin and serum transferrin. Mean energy intake was 121% of BMR, and the mean protein intake was 0.9 g/kg/day. Neither nutritional support during admission nor dietetic instructions managed to preserve the nutritional status in patients with cancer of the pharynx. Therefore, these patients need a more intensified nutritional therapy, such as tube feeding.
