P324 - IDENTIFYING THE NEED FOR EARLY NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS WITH HEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES: A HANDGRIP-BASED ASSESSMENT

P324

IDENTIFYING THE NEED FOR EARLY NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS WITH HEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES: A HANDGRIP-BASED ASSESSMENT

H. Erkaya^1,*, T. Tan¹, T. Aytulu², S. Civriz Bozdağ¹, M. O. Akay¹, Ü. B. Üre¹, E. Osmanbaşoğlu¹

¹Koç University Hospital, ²American Hospital, ISTANBUL, Türkiye

Rationale: Early detection of nutritional risk is critical in hematologic cancers. This pilot study evaluated probable sarcopenia via handgrip strength (HGS) and explored clinical predictors of reduced muscle strength to guide timely nutritional intervention.

Methods: We included 27 adult patients (63.0% female, mean age 51.5±16.4) with hematologic malignancies initiating first-line chemotherapy in 2025. HGS was assessed with a handheld dynamometer. EWGSOP2 cut-offs defined low strength as <27 kg for men and <16 kg for women. Nutritional risk was screened with NRS-2002 (score ≥3 is risk for malnutrition). HGS and sarcopenia rates were compared across disease stage (new, relapsed, refractory), diagnosis (leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma), and malnutrition risk. Multivariate regression identified predictors of low HGS.

Results: Probable sarcopenia was present in 35.0% (n=7) of newly diagnosed, 80.0% (n=4) of relapsed, and 50.0% (n=2) of refractory patients. It was most common in leukemia (66.7%, n=10), followed by lymphoma (38.9%, n=7) and myeloma (33.3%, n=2). Mean HGS was lower in malnourished patients (19.9 kg) than in those not at risk (24.7 kg). In multivariate analysis, female sex (p<0.001), obesity (p=0.005), and leukemia (p=0.031) were independently associated with low HGS (R²=0.73).

Conclusion: In our study, probable sarcopenia is frequent at chemotherapy onset, especially in leukemia and relapsed disease. HGS may assist in prioritizing early nutritional support. Utilizing HGS for detecting sarcopenia is a simple, low-cost, and non-invasive tool that can be easily applied in routine clinical practice to assess muscle function. Larger studies are needed to validate optimal thresholds.

Disclosure of Interest: H. Erkaya Other: We do not have any conflict of interest., T. Tan Other: We do not have any conflict of interest., T. Aytulu Other: We do not have any conflict of interest., S. Civriz Bozdağ Other: We do not have any conflict of interest., M. O. Akay Other: We do not have any conflict of interest., Ü. B. Üre Other: We do not have any conflict of interest., E. Osmanbaşoğlu Other: We do not have any conflict of interest.