PD764 - MALNUTRITION DRIVES SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION DURING CHEMOTHERAPY IN ESOPHAGEAL CANCER: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

PD764

MALNUTRITION DRIVES SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION DURING CHEMOTHERAPY IN ESOPHAGEAL CANCER: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

L. C. Barreto Silva Neto^1,*, T. Borges Santos², M. B. Nascimento Carlini², R. M. Pessanha¹, M. I. P. Barreto³, L. Batista de Azevedo², L. M. G. Graziolla ¹, W. Rocha Grippa¹, O. G. Enriquez-Martinez¹, L. C. Lopes-Junior⁴

¹Program of Post-Graduation in Public Heath, ²Program of Post-Graduation in Nutrition and Health, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Vitoria, ³School of Medicine of Campos, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil, ⁴Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH), Pan American Health Organization– World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Washington, United States

Rationale: Malnutrition and systemic inflammation are highly prevalent in patients with esophageal cancer and are associated with poor treatment tolerance and survival. However, short-term changes in inflammatory biomarkers during chemotherapy according to nutritional risk remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate nutritional risk and inflammatory biomarkers during chemotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer.

Methods: Prospective longitudinal observational study with two assessments performed 21 days apart during the first (CT1) and third (CT3) chemotherapy cycles. The study was conducted in a tertiary comprehensive cancer center in southeastern Brazil. Nutritional risk was assessed using anthropometric and clinical parameters. Inflammatory biomarkers, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio(LMR), and C-reactive protein(CRP), were measured at both time points. Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory variables were also collected. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata 17, with p<0.05.

Results: Nutritional risk was identified in 69.0% of patients and was significantly associated with underweight status (70%vs.22.2%; p=0.008) and lower mean platelet volume(10.1±1.1vs.10.9±0.8;p=0.029). Most patients had advanced disease(stage III–IV,89.7%) and squamous cell carcinoma(69%). Between CT1 and CT3, increases were observed in PLR, NLR, and CRP, while LMR decreased significantly(p=0.027). Patients at nutritional risk showed higher inflammatory biomarkers and lower LMR values throughout chemotherapy.

Conclusion: Nutritional risk was highly prevalent and associated with worsening inflammatory profiles during chemotherapy. These findings reinforce the interaction between malnutrition and systemic inflammation and highlight the importance of early nutritional assessment and intervention in patients with esophageal cancer.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared