Cancer Cachexia in Oncology Patients Hospitalized in an Interdisciplinary Home Care Program

Abstract

Cancer has been the second largest death cause in Brazil within the last years. Cancer cachexia is a syndrome that contributes to a worse quality of life, as well as higher morbidity and mortality. This study described cachexia occurrence in patients admitted to an Interdisciplinary Oncology Homecare Program from the Hospital Escola/Universidade Federal de Pelotas as for sex, age, body mass index, type of cancer, staging, presence of metastases and disease related symptoms. Cancer cachexia has been identified through the presence of anorexia, weight loss, lean mass and body fat, detected by the Subjective Global Assessment produced by the patient. 108 patients were evaluated within the period between February 2006 and February 2008. Prevalence of cachexia at admission was 46% and the cumulative incidence within this period was 25%. A total of 65 patients had cancer cachexia, corresponding to 60% of the sample, 55% of which were male, whose average age was 59 and mean of body mass index was 21 kg/m². 66% had advanced disease (stage IV) and 85% had metastases. As for the site, 26% had cancer in the digestive system and 25% had lung cancer. In the bivariate analysis, it was observed that the mean scores of symptoms and physical examination as well as the total score of the Subjective Global Assessment Produced by the Patient were directly related with the presence of cachexia. In this group of patients, nutritional and/or drug interventions  in order to alleviate the symptoms can be effective in reducing the occurrence of cachexia.