P047 - TO BE OR NOT TO BE: WEIGHT LOSS AND GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS AS CARDINAL MARKERS OF MALNUTRITION IN GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) CANCER PATIENTS

P047

TO BE OR NOT TO BE: WEIGHT LOSS AND GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS AS CARDINAL MARKERS OF MALNUTRITION IN GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) CANCER PATIENTS

V. Talwar^1,*, V. Goel¹, A. Jain¹, D. Basu¹

¹Medical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, India

Rationale: Malnutrition is a significant concern in cancer management, as it often hinders disease treatment, particularly in patients receiving chemotherapy. This study aimed to examine the relationship between weight loss and gastrointestinal symptoms in GI cancer patients receiving chemotherapy as potential markers of malnutrition.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included adult patients (≥18 years) with locally advanced, unresectable, and/or metastatic GI cancer who received IV chemotherapy at our institution. A detailed analysis of patient records who were undergoing chemotherapy from Feb 2023 to Sep 2024 was conducted to identify symptoms contributing to or indicating malnutrition. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data.

Results: A total of 260 adult patients (38 – 71 years) were included after chemotherapy. Distribution of cancers was as follows: gallbladder (43.57%), pancreas (30.62%), oesophagus and GE junction (15.71%), stomach (9.2%). Overall, 42.5% of patients experienced consistent weight loss, with highest prevalence in gallbladder cancer (64.2%) and lowest in oesophageal cancer (18.4%).

The most commonly reported symptoms included nausea (58.2%), anorexia (45.4%), constipation (32.5%), abdominal pain (22.6%), vomiting (8.6%), and diarrhoea (4.6%). Among patients with significant weight loss (>5%), nausea (61.2%), anorexia (49.5%), vomiting (12.4%), and diarrhoea (6.8%) were more frequently observed.

Conclusion: GI symptoms such as nausea, anorexia, vomiting, and diarrhoea may serve as early markers of malnutrition. As a strategy, these symptoms should be incorporated into the routine assessment of cancer patients at the initiation of therapy and should form an integral part of initial patient counselling. Careful monitoring during and after chemotherapy is particularly important for patients with GI malignancies.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared