Weight changes during chemotherapy for breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
Patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer have a tendency to gain weight. This tendency has determining factors not completely defined and an unknown prognostic impact.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate weight change during chemotherapy for breast cancer in a defined population and to identify its predisposing factors and possible prognostic significance.


METHODS
Observational, retrospective cohort study.


METHODS
Private clinical oncology service.


METHODS
106 consecutive patients with breast cancer treated between June 1994 and April 2000, who received neoadjuvant (n = 8), adjuvant (n = 74) or palliative (n = 24) chemotherapy.


METHODS
Review of medical records and gathering of clinical information, including patients' body weights before treatment and at follow-up reviews.


METHODS
Body weight change, expressed as percentage of body weight per month in treatment; role of clinical data in weight change; and influence of weight change in overall survival and disease-free survival.


RESULTS
There was a mean increase of 0.50 +/- 1.42% (p = 0.21) of body weight per month of treatment. We noted a negative correlation between metastatic disease and weight gain (r = -0.447, p < 0.0001). In the adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy groups there was a mean weight gain of 0.91 +/- 1.19 % (p < 0.00001) per month, whereas in the metastatic (palliative) group, we observed a mean loss of 0.52 +/- 1.21% (p = 0.11) of body weight per month during the treatment. We did not observe any statistically significant correlation between weight changes and disease-free survival or overall survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Women with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy gain weight, whereas metastatic cancer patients will probably lose weight during palliative chemotherapy. Further studies are needed in order to evaluate the prognostic significance of weight changes during chemotherapy.
Costa
Luciano José Megale
LJ
Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
Varella
Paulo César Spotti
PC
del Giglio
Auro
A
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D010166:Palliative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents