Appetite in Palliative Cancer Patients and Its Association with Albumin, CRP and Quality of Life in Men and Women—Cross-Sectional Data from the Palliative D-Study

Life

Ylva Trolle Lagerros¹  Charlotte Goodrose-Flores¹  Stephanie Bonn¹  Linda Björkhem-Bergman²  Caritha Klasson²  Maria Helde Frankling² 

[1] Clinical Epidemiology Division, Department of Medicine (Solna), Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Solna, Sweden;Division of Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (Huddinge), Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Solna, Sweden;

关键词: cancer;    palliative care;    appetite;    quality of life;    sex differences;    pain;   

DOI  :  10.3390/life12050671

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Albumin is an important biochemical marker in palliative cancer care, used for assessment of nutritional status, disease severity and prognosis. Our primary aim was to investigate sex differences in the association between appetite and albumin levels in palliative cancer patients. We also aimed to study associations between appetite and C-reactive protein (CRP), Quality of Life (QoL), pain and fatigue. In the Palliative D-cohort, consisting of 266 men and 264 women, we found a correlation between appetite and albumin; low appetite, measured with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, correlated significantly with low albumin in men: (r = −0.33, p < 0.001), but not in women (r = −0.03, p = 0.65). In a regression analysis adjusted for confounding factors, results were similar. Lower appetite was correlated with higher CRP in men (r = 0.27, p < 0.001), but not in women (r = 0.12, p = 0.05). Appetite was correlated with QoL, fatigue and pain in both men and women; those with a low appetite had a low QoL and high fatigue- and pain-scores (p < 0.001). In conclusion, our results indicated possible sex differences in the associations between appetite and albumin, and between appetite and CRP, in palliative care patients. Understanding these associations could provide additional value for clinical practice.

【 授权许可】

Unknown