Journal Article

Pre-to-post diagnosis weight trajectories in colorectal cancer patients with non-metastatic disease

Fränzel JB van Duijnhoven, Ernst J Spillenaar Bilgen, Wesselink, Evertine, Moniek van Zutphen, Boshuizen, Hendriek C, Snellen, Merel, de Wilt, Johannes HW, Kampman, Ellen, Geijsen, Anne JMR, Geelen, Anouk, Paul C van de Meeberg, Kouwenhoven, Ewout A, Kok, Dieuwertje E, Winkels, Renate M, van Halteren, Henk K

2019

Overview

PurposePrevious studies have shown that > 50% of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy gain weight after diagnosis. This may affect long-term health. Therefore, prevention of weight gain has been incorporated in oncological guidelines for CRC with a focus on patients that undergo adjuvant chemotherapy treatment. It is, however, unknown how changes in weight after diagnosis relate to weight before diagnosis and whether weight changes from pre-to-post diagnosis are restricted to chemotherapy treatment. We therefore examined pre-to-post diagnosis weight trajectories and compared them between those treated with and without adjuvant chemotherapy.MethodsWe included 1184 patients diagnosed with stages I–III CRC between 2010 and 2015 from an ongoing observational prospective study. At diagnosis, patients reported current weight and usual weight 2 years before diagnosis. In the 2 years following diagnosis, weight was self-reported repeatedly. We used linear mixed models to analyse weight trajectories.ResultsMean pre-to-post diagnosis weight change was −0.8 (95% CI −1.1, −0.4) kg. Post-diagnosis weight gain was + 3.5 (95% CI 2.7, 4.3) kg in patients who had lost ≥ 5% weight before diagnosis, while on average clinically relevant weight gain after diagnosis was absent in the groups without pre-diagnosis weight loss. Pre-to-post diagnosis weight change was similar in patients treated with (−0.1 kg (95%CI −0.8, 0.6)) and without adjuvant chemotherapy (−0.9 kg (95%CI −1.4, −0.5)).ConclusionsOverall, hardly any pre-to-post diagnosis weight change was observed among CRC patients, because post-diagnosis weight gain was mainly observed in patients who lost weight before diagnosis. This was observed independent of treatment with adjuvant chemotherapy.

• Publisher: Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Cancer / Changes / Chemotherapy / Colorectal cancer / Long term / Longitudinal studies / Medical diagnosis / Medical treatment / Patients / Quantitative analysis / Survivor / Weight / Weight gain / Weight loss