Analysis of the energy balance in lung cancer patients

Previous studies have shown that an elevated resting energy expenditure (REE) frequently occurs in lung cancer patients. The aim of the present study was to assess the balance between REE and dietary intake and to analyze the contributing factors of elevated REE in newly detected lung cancer patients. One hundred newly detected lung cancer patients were evaluated. Measured values of REE were adjusted for the values predicted by the Harris-Benedict formula and for fat-free mass assessed by the bioelectrical impedance method. Dietary intake was measured using a dietary history. A substantial number of patients (30%) had a weight loss of 10% or more from their preillness stable weight. An elevated REE was found in 74% of the patients. Stratification by tumor localization revealed that patients with a central tumor had a significantly higher REE [121 +/- 13% (SD) versus 110 +/- 10% of predicted, P < 0.001] and significantly higher level of C-reactive protein (35 +/- 35 mg/liter versus 16 +/- 26 mg/liter, P = 0.006) compared with patients with a peripheral tumor. Dietary intake was significantly lower in the weight-losing group (1872 +/- 542 kcal/day versus 2169 +/- 782 kcal/day, P < 0.05) compared with the weight-stable group. We conclude that both elevated REE and decreased dietary intake contribute to weight loss in lung cancer patients. Tumor localization and inflammation were found to be contributing factors to the elevated REE.