위암환자에서 XELOX 항암화학요법의 순응도와 영양인자들과의 상관관계

Abstract

Purpose: Cancer-associated malnutrition is common in gastric cancer patients and affects their response to treatment. This study evaluated pre-operative and pre-chemotherapy nutritional status-related indices associated with compliance in post-operation state gastric cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with gastric cancer undergoing curative D2 resection between August 2014 and July 2016. A total of 51 patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy with a regimen of capecitabine and oxaliplatin (XELOX) were screened. Nutritional status assessment included body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, serum total protein, hemoglobin, and total lymphocyte count (TLC).

Results: Twenty-six patients had stage II gastric cancer, and 25 patients had stage Ⅲ gastric cancer according to the guidelines of the American Joint Committee on Cancer. Eighty-two percent of patients completed their chemotherapy according to the therapy protocol. However, 49% of patients were subjected to drug dose reduction, and 18% of patients needed to cease therapy. We found that pre-chemotherapy serum albumin level was significantly associated with completion of chemotherapy (P=0.043), and there was no significant relationship of BW, BMI, serum total protein, hemoglobin, and TLC with compliance of chemotherapy.

Conclusion: Our study results suggest that patients with a low serum albumin level are highly susceptible to discontinuation of chemotherapy. Thus, serum albumin concentration could be used as a predictor of successful completion of chemotherapy before starting treatment.