RESUMO
Although advances have been made in the treatment and prevention of febrile neutropenia (FN) in cancer patients treated with chemotherapy, it is still a complication that requires clinical attention. Impaired nutritional status in patients who develop FN can affect the continuation of cancer treatment, but it has not been investigated. We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study in order to clarify (1) if body weight and serum albumin levels change in lung cancer patients who do and do not develop FN, and (2) if these indicators are more likely to worsen in patients with FN than in patients without FN. Patients undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy between January 2011 and June 2020 were consecutively included in the study. Changes in body weight and serum albumin levels were investigated in a case-control study of patients with FN, and control patients without FN who were matched by age, gender, histopathology, and stage of lung cancer, at a ratio of 1:2. During the study period, 226 patients received cytotoxic chemotherapy. Among those, 33 (14.6%) patients developed FN during the first course of cytotoxic chemotherapy. We found a more pronounced decrease in both body weight and serum albumin level at four weeks after the initiation of chemotherapy in FN patients. In order to safely administer effective chemotherapy, medical staff need to pay close attention to the nutritional status of patients receiving chemotherapy.
RESUMO
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of rikkunshi-to, a Japanese herbal medicine, on post-chemotherapeutic appetite loss. Patients with unresectable lung cancer, who were treated with carboplatin (CBDCA)-containing, cisplatin (CDDP)-containing or non-platinum chemotherapy between 2011 and 2014, were recruited for the prospective study. For each course of chemotherapy, the patients were randomized into two groups, with or without a rikkunshi-to prescription. In patients treated with CBDCA-containing chemotherapy, food intake at day 7 following the initiation of chemotherapy in the rikkunshi-to treatment group was significantly higher compared with the group not treated with rikkunshi-to (P=0.0078). However, a significant improvement in food intake with rikkunshi-to treatment was not observed in the CDDP-containing and non-platinum chemotherapy groups. An improved assessment of the incidence rate of chemotherapy-induced appetite loss is essential for achieving adequate control. The results of the present study indicated the possibility of the clinical application of rikkunshi-to for improving post-chemotherapeutic appetite loss.
