Cancer-associated anorexia: Validity and performance overtime of different appetite tools among patients at their first cancer diagnosis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Anorexia is a frequent symptom in cancer and we aimed to assess its prevalence among patients at their first cancer diagnosis by different appetite tools and the relationship between each tool with self-reports of food intake. We also tested whether cancer anorexia influences outcomes independently of reduced food intake or body weight loss (BWL) overtime and whether BWL was associated with complications during anticancer-therapy. METHODS: Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT) score, self-assessment of appetite, Anorexia Questionnaire (AQ) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were administered. Percent of food intake was used as a criterion measure of anorexia. We registered BWL and anticancer-therapy complications over 3-month-follow-up. RESULTS: 438 cancer patients from 7 cancer-centers worldwide were included. The prevalence of anorexia was 39.9% by FAACT score, 40.2% by VAS, 40.6% by the self-assessment of appetite and 65.4% by AQ. Low food intake (≤50%) was reported in 28% of patients. All appetite tools correlated with food intake percent (P < 0.0001). We documented a correlation between self-assessment of appetite, FAACT score, VAS and BWL overtime (P < 0.04). The self-assessment of appetite (P = 0.0152) and the FAACT score (P = 0.043) were associated with BWL independently of anticancer therapies. Among patients with BWL, the risk to develop complications was greater with respect to those who maintained a stable or gained body weight (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In our sample of cancer patients, FAACT score and self-assessment of appetite performed well when low food intake was used as a criterion measure, and revealed an association of anorexia with BWL, which was, in turn, related to the development of anticancer-therapy complications.

Impact of Disability, Psychological Status, and Comorbidity on Health-Related Quality of Life Perceived by Subjects with Obesity.

Obesity is a rapidly growing public health problem affecting an increasing number of countries worldwide and creating substantial financial and health burdens. Obesity has a negative impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with reference to physical and mental health status, social relationships, and economic factors. The aim of the present study is to investigate the association of number of comorbidities, psychological status, and disability level with HRQoL in a sample of subjects with obesity. METHODS: A total of 273 subjects with obesity (199 women and 74 men) were recruited. Medical history and anthropometric measurements were carried out. The Italian version of the Laval questionnaire, the TSD-OC (SIO test for obesity-related disabilities), and SCL-90 (Symptom Checklist-90) tests were administered. The association between HRQoL (global and different domains scores of the Laval questionnaire - dependent variable) and age, body mass index (BMI), comorbidity, TSD-OC, and SCL-90 was analysed using a stepwise linear regression model. RESULTS: BMI, disability (TSD-OC global score), and psychological symptoms (SCL-90 global severity index) were found to be the main determinants of HRQoL. Single domains of HRQoL (symptoms, activity/mobility, personal hygiene/clothing, emotions, social interaction, and sexual life) showed different patterns of associations with each domain of the Laval questionnaire. BMI, pain, and social life disruptions were found to be significantly associated with most of the HRQoL domains while age, comorbidities, psychological problems (depression, interpersonal symptoms, somatization), and disability were associated with only some domains of the Laval questionnaire. Education, psychological symptoms (obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation), and disability domains (stiffness, housework, outdoor activities, occupational activities) were not associated with any of the dimensions of the Laval questionnaire. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The present study identified key determinants of QoL in subjects with obesity, which could help in refining the multidimensional diagnostic assessment of obesity as well as designing more effective interventions to improve HRQoL in these patients.

Nutrition support and clinical outcome in advanced cancer patients.

Newly diagnosed cancer patients are frequently found suffering from a metastatic disease, which poses additional challenges to the delivery of effective therapies. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are associated with side effects which reduce tolerance to treatment and likelihood of tumour response. Identifying preventable factors of reduced response to therapy would translate into better care of cancer patients. Among other factors, malnutrition, as diagnosed by non-volitional weight loss, and cachexia, as revealed by sarcopenia, are universally recognised negative prognostic factors. Less certainty exists on the role of nutrition therapy in improving cancer patients' body composition and clinical outcome. The reasons for the lack of convincing evidence are manifold, mostly related to the poor design of nutritional trials. Metastatic cancer patients should receive a quantitatively and qualitatively adequate diet, and in case of reduced tolerance of food, artificial nutrition is indicated. Most importantly, nutritional care should target the underlying mechanisms of reduced food intake/impaired anabolic response, and aim at minimising the impact of catabolic crisis, to maximise the recovery phase. The combined and early use of supplemental energies and proteins, as well as modulators of inflammatory response has been shown to improve nutritional status and may also benefit clinical outcome. When part of early palliative care, nutrition therapy improves cancer patients' quality of life and may prolong survival at a fraction of the costs of developing new drugs.

Validation of the Italian version of the Laval questionnaire: health-related quality of life in subjects with obesity.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated to increased risk of metabolic comorbidity as well as increased mortality. Notably, obesity is also associated to the impairment of the psychological status and of quality of life. Only three questionnaires are available in the Italian language evaluating the health-related quality of life in subjects with obesity. The aim of the present study was to test the validity and reliability of the Italian version of the Laval Questionnaire. METHODS: The original French version was translated into Italian and back-translated by a French native speaker. 273 subjects with obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 30 kg/m2) were enrolled; the Italian version of the Laval Questionnaire and the O.R.Well-97 questionnaire were administered in order to assess health- related quality of life. The Laval questionnaire consists of 44 items distributed in 6 domains (symptoms, activity/mobility, personal hygiene/clothing, emotions, social interaction, sexual life). Disability and overall psychopathology levels were assessed through the TSD-OC test (SIO test for obesity correlated disabilities) and the SCL-90 (Symptom Checklist-90) questionnaire, respectively. To verify the validity of the Italian version, the analysis of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity were performed. RESULTS: The observed proportion of agreement concordance of results was 50.2% with Cohen's K = 0.336 (CI 95%: 0.267-0.404), indicating a fair agreement between the two tests. Test-retest correlation was statistically significant (ρ = 0.82; p < 0.01); validity (standardized Chronbach's alpha) was considered reliable (α > 0.70). The analysis of construct validity showed a statistically significant association in terms of both total score (ρ = -0.66) and scores at each single domain (p < 0.01). A high correlation (p < 0.01) was observed between Laval questionnaire total and single domain scores and other related measures (Body Mass Index, TSD-OC scores, SCL-90 global severity index), revealing a high construct validity of the test. CONCLUSIONS: The Italian version of the Laval Questionnaire is a valid and reliable measure to assess the health-related quality of life in subjects with obesity.

Reduced sleep duration affects body composition, dietary intake and quality of life in obese subjects.

PURPOSE: Sleep duration has emerged as a crucial factor affecting body weight and feeding behaviour. The aim of our study was to explore the relationship among sleep duration, body composition, dietary intake, and quality of life (QoL) in obese subjects. METHODS: Body composition was assessed by DXA. "Sensewear Armband" was used to evaluate sleep duration. SF-36 questionnaire was used to evaluate quality of life (QoL). A 3-day dietary record was administered. Subjects were divided into 2 groups: sleep duration > and ≤300 min/day. RESULTS: 137 subjects (105 women and 32 men), age: 49.8 ± 12.4 years, BMI: 38.6 ± 6.7 kg/m(2), were enrolled. Sleep duration was ≤300 min in 30.6 % of subjects. Absolute and relative fat mass (FM) (40.5 ± 9 vs. 36.5 ± 9.1 kg; 40.2 ± 4.7 vs. 36.9 ± 5.6 %), and truncal fat mass (19.2 ± 6.1 vs. 16.6 ± 5 kg; 38.6 ± 5.3 vs. 35.2 ± 5.5 %) were higher in subjects sleeping ≤300 min when compared to their counterparts (all p < 0.05), whereas just a tendency towards a higher BMI was observed (p = 0.077). Even though energy intake was not different between groups, subjects sleeping ≤300 min reported a higher carbohydrate consumption per day (51.8 ± 5.1 vs. 48.4 ± 9.2 %, p = 0.038). SF-36 total score was lower in subjects sleeping ≤300 min (34.2 ± 17.8 vs. 41.4 ± 12.9, p = 0.025). Sleep duration was negatively associated with FM (r = -0.25, p = 0.01) and SF-36 total score (r = -0.31, p < 0.001). The inverse association between sleep duration and SF-36 total score was confirmed by the regression analysis after adjustment for BMI and fat mass (R = 0.43, R (2) = 0.19, p = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Reduced sleep duration negatively influences body composition, macronutrient intake, and QoL in obese subjects.

Differences in Ventilatory Threshold for Exercise Prescription in Outpatient Diabetic and Sarcopenic Obese Subjects.

Aim of the study was to examine cardiorespiratory parameters at individual ventilatory threshold (IVT) and peak exercise capacity ([Formula: see text]) in outpatient diabetic and sarcopenic obese subjects. Seventeen obese subjects (BMI: 36.6 ± 4.1 kg·m(-1)) and sixteen SO subjects (BMI: 37.0 ± 7.3 kg·m(-1)) were compared with sixteen T2DM subjects (BMI: 37.7 ± 5.6 kg·m(-1)). All groups performed an incremental exercise test on a treadmill according to their physical ability. [Formula: see text], %HRmax, and maximal metabolic equivalent (METmax) were evaluated at maximal effort. Moreover, [Formula: see text], %[Formula: see text], %HRmax, %HRR, ΔHR, and METivt were assessed at IVT. No significant differences were found in any physiological parameters at maximal effort ([Formula: see text], %HRmax, and METmax) in all groups. On the contrary, [Formula: see text], %[Formula: see text], %HRmax, %HRR, ΔHR, and METivt were significantly lower in T2DM subjects as compared to OB and SO subjects at IVT (p < 0.05). Our results show that while at maximal effort there are no differences among groups, at IVT the physiological parameters are lower in T2DM subjects than in OB and SO subjects. Therefore, due to the differences observed in the groups, we suggest usng the IVT as a useful parameter to prescribe aerobic exercise in obese with sarcopenia or diabetes mellitus conditions.

Health-related quality of life and quality of sexual life in obese subjects.

The increased prevalence of obesity represents, currently, one of the major public health issues, due to its consequences on physical and psychological health status as well as on the psychosocial functioning. As defined by the World Health Organization, sexual health is "a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality." The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between sexual life in obese subjects and quality of life, psychological status, and disability. Methods. 95 obese subjects were recruited from June 2012 to February 2013 and underwent physical examination and measures for the assessment of quality of life, sexual life, psychological status, and disability. Results. In obese subjects sexual life was related to gender, age, psychological status, disability, and quality of life. Conclusion. As obesity is a multifactorial disease, and is accompanied by multiple comorbidities, it is difficult to identify a single causative factor responsible for the impairment of sexual life in obese subjects; thus, a thorough, multidimensional evaluation including sexual function assessment should be performed in obese people.

Liver abscess and pseudotumoral gastric lesion caused by chicken bone perforation: laparoscopic management.

The accidental ingestion of a foreign body into the gastrointestinal tract is not uncommon, but the vast majority of foreign bodies pass through the gastrointestinal tract uneventfully within a week. Less than 1% of patients with foreign body ingestion develop complications such as perforation of the gastrointestinal tract. The migration of an ingested foreign body may result in chronic inflammation, a silent clinical course, and radiological features suggestive of a neoplasm. The authors report a case of chicken bone perforation of the gastric wall that leads to hepatic abscess formation and thereafter to submucosal pseudotumor of the gastric wall treated with totally laparoscopic management. Usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography for a correct diagnosis is also stressed.

Estimating ecotoxicological effects of pesticide drift on nontarget arthropods in field hedgerows.

When hedgerows grow in orchards where pesticides are applied, they can play a double role: Providing a barrier for chemical spray drift and as a refuge for beneficial arthropods such as pollinators and predators. Effectiveness of hedgerows as barriers to drift depends mainly on canopy density (that can be estimated through optical porosity) and wind speed. When optical porosity is low, the hedgerow can intercept a significant amount of spray drift and act as an effective barrier, but the intercepted pesticide can negatively affect the beneficial arthropods living there. A drift model was used to simulate drift in a hedgerow- vineyard system, and a deposition distribution model was used to calculate the pesticide spatial pattern distribution on a hedgerow with different optical porosity and wind speed conditions. The possible ecotoxicological effects were estimated for 28 active ingredients with different median lethal rates for two nontarget arthropods, Aphidius rhopalosiphi and Typhlodromus pyri. A spatialized risk assessment for a hedgerow is suggested to improve procedures based on application rate, standard drift, and vegetation distribution values, as in the hazard quotient approach. An alternative method for calculation of the exposure is also proposed, with a step-by-step example of a toxicity/exposure ratio calculation. The results highlighted the importance of the spatial pattern of drift and proved that a hedgerow can be an effective barrier against spray drift. Analysis of the toxicity/exposure ratio values showed that a hedgerow can continue its shelter and feeding function for nontarget arthropods when low-toxicity pesticides are used, there is no significant wind interference, or both.

Experimental validation of a geographical information systems-based procedure for predicting pesticide exposure in surface water.

A GIS-based procedure for predicting pesticide exposure in surface waters has been applied on a pilot river basin characterized by intensive agricultural activity. The predictive approach has been validated through experimental monitoring, performed by collecting manual and automatic water samples during the productive season. Five active ingredients (terbuthylazine, metolachlor, alachlor, linuron, fenitrothion) were selected for analysis to validate the predictive approach. Comparison between predicted and experimental values showed good agreement for terbuthylazine and metolachlor (used in large volumes within the basin), demonstrating the reliability of the approach. However, some anomalous results were obtained for some of the other chemicals, which serve to highlight the difficulties in getting reliable input data, in particular on application patterns (rate and time). Furthermore, the value of mapping pesticide exposure on the medium-large scale is described, and the limitations of the reported predictive approach are discussed.