Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Diet quality is not associated with malnutrition, low muscle mass and sarcopenia during lung cancer treatment (#236)

Annie R Curtis 1 , Nicole Kiss 1 2 , Robin M Daly 1 , Anna Ugalde 3 , Katherine M Livingstone 1
  1. Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
  2. Allied Health Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  3. Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia

Aims:

Studies evaluating the impact of diet quality on nutrition and muscle-related outcomes in cancer are limited. We aimed to understand the diet quality of adults with lung cancer and the relationship between diet quality and malnutrition, low muscle mass (LMM) and sarcopenia.

Methods:

Dietary data, using 3-day food records, were collected from 47 adults with lung cancer prior to- or within one-week of radical intent (chemo)radiotherapy (mean±SD 70.6±8.6 years; 58% male; 91.5% NSCLC). Diet quality was estimated using Dietary Guidelines Index (DGI; scored 0-115) and Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS; scored 0-9), reflecting established healthy eating patterns. Malnutrition was determined using Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment. LMM was estimated using diagnostic third lumbar vertebra CT images (M: <43cm2/m2 if BMI <24.9kg/m2 or <53cm2/m2 if BMI >25kg/m2; F: <41cm2/m2). Sarcopenia was determined using the revised European Working Group for Sarcopenia in Older People definition. Multivariate adjusted logistic regression analyses, odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), determined associations between diet quality and malnutrition, LMM and sarcopenia.

Results:

Prevalence of malnutrition, LMM and sarcopenia were 36.2%, 50.0% and 13.6%, respectively. Mean±SD DGI adherence score was 53.0±13.0. Adherence to the DGI was not significantly associated with malnutrition (OR, 0.67 [95%CI 0.35, 1.28]), LMM (0.90 [95%CI 0.47, 1.70]) or sarcopenia (0.73 [95%CI 0.29, 1.80]). MDS adherence score was 3.6±1.5. Adherence to the MDS was not significantly associated with malnutrition (0.75 [95%CI 0.37, 1.49]), LMM (0.98 [95%CI 0.51, 1.88]) or sarcopenia (1.82 [95%CI 0.72, 4.85]).

Conclusions:

People with lung cancer had low diet quality, as estimated by DGI and MDS, but neither diet quality score was associated with odds of malnutrition, LMM or sarcopenia. Further research is needed to determine whether modifications (e.g., increased protein content) to high quality dietary patterns may support nutritional status as well as long-term cancer and health outcomes.