Body weight and composition changes in ovarian cancer patients during adjuvant chemotherapy

To prospectively examine body weight changes in women with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer receiving surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Body composition was examined in a subset of these women.

Body weight (BW) and body composition, using bioelectrical impedance (RJL Systems Inc.), were prospectively measured pre- and post-operatively, and at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Mean age of 42 women was 59 years and did not differ by stage of disease. Nine women with early stage disease did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. Mean BW of 33 patients receiving chemotherapy decreased from the pre- to post-operative visit and then returned to baseline levels by 12 months (F = 8.70, P = 0.003). Nine patients who did not receive chemotherapy demonstrated a similar pattern (F = 7.0, P = 0.002). Women receiving chemotherapy with stage I/II cancer had a 2.8 +/- 2.0 kg weight gain over the year, and women with stage III/IV cancer had a 1.5 +/- 1.5 kg weight loss (t = 1.72, P = 0.096). A subset of women with stage I/II (n = 6) and stage III/IV (n = 6) ovarian cancer receiving chemotherapy had body composition measured at three time points. Absolute body fat changes paralleled changes in BW (F = 9.95, P = 0.002).

Our study is the first prospective evaluation of body weight and composition in women undergoing surgery and chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. These results demonstrate that women undergoing surgery for ovarian cancer lost weight following surgery and regained it slowly over the following year. Further investigations of weight changes during adjuvant chemotherapy are indicated to assess potential changes in different stages of disease.