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Abstract
One of the main features of wasting in cancer is an involuntary weight loss which is most pronounced in gastrointestinal tract tumors and leads to worse clinical outcomes. The aim of this study is to analyze the frequency of body weight loss (FBWL) as an additional prognostic factor in the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).
In this observational, single-center study, data were retrieved for 236 patients treated for mCRC. FBWL was defined as a percent of change in weight divided by weeks of therapy. Patients were stratified into two groups according to the median of FBWL which equaled to the loss of 0.05%/week. Patients who lost >0.05%/week (N = 116) had shorter progression-free survival (PFS) in the first-line treatment, then the ones who lost <0.05%/week (N = 120); 28.3 vs 46.3 weeks, respectively. Cox regression model showed that FBWL and sidedness were significant predictors of PFS, while age, sex and ECOG were not. Significantly more patients with stable weight were also eligible for second-line treatment. In conclusion, stabilization of body weight is important and independent predictor of longer PFS in first-line therapy of patients with mCRC.
Aknowledgement
The authors thank the University Hospital Centre Zagreb for providing the data for the research. We are also greatly indebted to Mr. Dalibor Koštan for his help with English language editing of the manuscript, and Tamara Poljičanin, MD, PhD and Jelena Dimnjaković, MD for their help with statistical analysis.
Disclosure Statement
The authors report no conflict of interest.
Author Contribution Statement
Juraj Prejac originated the concept, reviewed the literature, and wrote the article with input from all other authors. Juraj Prejac, Domina Kekez, and Marija Prejac extracted the patient data, performed the computations, and interpreted the results. Borislav Belev and Stjepko Pleština supervised the findings of this work, reviewed the literature and critically reviewed the manuscript.
Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.