The nutritional status of older men with advanced prostate cancer and factors affecting it

Our aim was to study the nutritional status of older men receiving treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PC).

We assessed 80 patients: 40 patients with advanced PC (research group) and 40 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (control group). The instruments used were: Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)-Short Form. Complementary questions were asked reflecting nutritional status.

Mean age of PC patients was 72 (65-94) years and that of control group 71 (65-85) years. Patients with PC had rapid weight loss--15 (39.5%) of patients lost more than 3 kg over 3 months. Depressive symptomatology was more common in the research group (p<0.05), and it was inversely correlated with nutrition. Age had no influence on symptoms of depression. Digestive disorders troubled 23 (57.5%) of the research group and 14 (20%) of the control group. Digestive troubles had an influence on appetite in both groups t=0.54 and r=0.46 (p<0.05). No patient who had digestive symptoms was instructed as to how to control them.

Among PC patients, 50% were at risk of malnutrition compared to 7.5% in the BPH group, as assessed by the MNA questionnaire. Patients suffering from PC were more depressed than those with BPH. A higher degree of depressive symptomatology was related to poorer nutritional status. Assessment of nutritional status is important and should be routinely performed in older men with PC.