Weight loss during radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a prospective study from northern China

The objective of this explorative study was to measure weight loss during radiotherapy and to select predictive factors for early identification of malnourished patients. One hundred and fifty-nine consecutive initial diagnosed nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients attending the Oncology Center at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, China participated. Patients' weights were measured at the baseline visit and at the end of radiotherapy. The baseline characteristics were recorded. A stepwise linear regression analysis was performed to find association between baseline characteristics and malnutrition. At baseline, 56% of the patients already had a 5% weight loss during the last 3 mo; after the treatment, the median weight loss was 6.9 kg (range, 2.1-12.6 kg). After the multivariate linear regression analyses, the following factors turned out to be independent prognostic factors for significant weight loss: global quality of life, body mass index, N stage, insomnia, radiation techniques, Karnofsky performance status, concurrent chemotherapy, and fatigue. The authors conclude that severe weight loss during radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma is common. A combination of clinical factors may lead to malnutrition for nasopharyngeal carcinoma during radiotherapy.