Abstract:

Objective    To measure weight loss during radiotherapy, and locate predictive factors for early malnutrition.  Methods     The baseline of 159 newly diagnosed nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)patients were collected. Patients′ weights were measured at the initial visit and at the end of radiotherapy. A stepwise linear regression analysis was performed to find the association between the baseline and malnutrition. Results     At baseline, 56% of the patients already demonstrated 5% weight loss during the previoas three months. After treatment, the median weight loss was 6.9(range, 2.1-12.6)kg. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that 8 factors were associated with significant weight loss, including global quality of life, body mass index(BMI), N stage, insomnia, radiation techniques, Karnofsky performance score(KPS), concomitant chemoradiation and fatigue. Conclusions     Severe weight loss during  radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma is common. Factors, including global quality of life and body mass index, are independent prognostic factors for weight loss.

Key words: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Weight loss; Radiotherapy; Predictors