Sep 14, 2025
1:00 PM2:00 PM
Poster Session
P305 - NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN CERVICAL CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING CHEMORADIOTHERAPY IN A LOW-RESOURCE SETTING: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY FROM MOROCCO
P305
NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN CERVICAL CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING CHEMORADIOTHERAPY IN A LOW-RESOURCE SETTING: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY FROM MOROCCO
C. Ezzouitina1,2, F. Z. CHRAA1,2, A. Majdi1,2, M. Farina1,2, A. Lachgar1,2, K. Nouni1,2, H. El Kacemi1,2, T. Kebdani1,2,*, K. Hassouni1,2
1Department of Radiotherapy, National Institute Of Oncology, 2Medicine, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
Rationale: Cervical cancer remains a major public health issue in low- and middle-income countries. In these settings, patients often present with advanced disease and are at high risk of malnutrition, which may worsen treatment tolerance and impair quality of life (QoL).
This study aimed to evaluate the association between nutritional status and QoL in cervical cancer patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy in a resource-limited setting.
Methods: A prospective study was conducted from January to December 2024 at the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat, Morocco.
The study enrolled 200 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer receiving external beam radiotherapy (46 Gy) with weekly cisplatin, followed by brachytherapy.
Nutritional status was assessed at baseline and during treatment using BMI, serum albumin levels, and the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA). QoL was evaluated using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CX24 questionnaires.
Results: At baseline, 45% of patients were classified as moderately to severely malnourished (SGA B or C). During treatment, 65% experienced weight loss >5%, and 33% had hypoalbuminemia (<35 g/L).
Malnourished patients reported significantly lower global health status and functional scores (p < 0.01), with higher symptom burden, especially fatigue, appetite loss, and pain.
Poor nutritional status was also associated with more frequent treatment interruptions and prolonged hospitalization.
Conclusion: In low-resource settings, malnutrition is highly prevalent among cervical cancer patients and is significantly associated with impaired quality of life and poor treatment compliance. These findings underscore the urgent need for integrating basic nutritional support into standard oncologic care, even in constrained environments.
Disclosure of Interest: None declared