Effect of adjuvant antineoplastic treatment on body weight change in women with breast cancer

Abstract

AIMS: To identify the effect of adjuvant antineoplastic treatment on body weight change of women with breast cancer. METHODS: A non-randomized clinical study included women with a recent surgical diagnosis of breast cancer, admitted to the Maternidade Carmela Dutra hospital in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, between October 2006 and July 2008. Food intake, weight, body mass index, hip circumference, waist circumference and other variables were measured before (baseline) and after the adjuvant antineoplastic treatment (pos-treatment). A mixed effects linear regression model was used to estimate the longitudinal changes occurring in weight. RESULTS: The sample comprised 53 patients. A significant increase (P less than 0.05) was observed in body weight (2.81 kg), body mass index (1.08 kg/m2), hip circumference (3.62 cm) and waist circumference (1.93 cm). In relation to diet, there was a significant increase (P less than 0.05) in the intake of energy (272.7 kcal), total fat (11.2 g) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (5.4 g). The final regression model for the change in body weight demonstrated that the women who were exposed to chemotherapy treatment, and to chemotherapy associated with radiotherapy, had the largest mean increase in body weight (2.47 kg and 5.21 kg, respectively). Socio-economic, demographic and nutritional factors were not associated with the increase in body weight. CONCLUSIONS: Weight gain was associated with chemotherapy treatment either alone or in combination with radiotherapy.