Impact of Chemotherapy on Diet and Nutritional Status of Women with Breast Cancer: A Prospective Study

PLoS One. 2016 Jun 16;11(6):e0157113. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157113. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Certain food groups are often rejected during chemotherapy (CT) due to the side effects of treatment, which may interfere with adequate diet and nutritional status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment impact on the diet and nutritional status of women with breast cancer (BC). In this prospective longitudinal study, conducted in 2014-2015, 55 women diagnosed with BC, with a mean age 51.5±10.1 years, were followed and data were collected at three different times. Anthropometric and dietary assessments were performed, the latter by applying nine 24h dietary recalls, by using the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised (BHEI-R), and calculating the prevalence of inadequacy by the EAR cut-off point method. Regarding the BHEI-R analysis, the majority of women had a "diet requires modification', both at the beginning (T0, 58.2%, n = 32) and during treatment (T1, 54.5%, n = 30). However, after the end of the CT, the greater percentage of patients (T2, 49.1%, n = 27) were classified as having an "inadequate diet", since the Total Fruit consumption as well as the Dark Green and Orange Vegetable and Legume consumption decreased significantly during treatment (p = 0.043 and p = 0.026, respectively). There was a significant reduction in the intake of macro and micronutrients, with a high prevalence of inadequacy, of up to 100%, for calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B6, vitamin C and zinc. Assessment of the nutritional status indicated that 56% (n = 31) of patients were overweight at these three different times. Weight, BMI and Waist Circumference increased significantly, indicating a worse nutritional status, and there was a correlation between poor diet quality and higher values for BMI, Waist-Hip Ratio and Waist-to-Height Ratio. Chemotherapy interferes in the patients' diet generating a negative impact on the quality and intake of micro and macronutrients, as well as an impact on their nutritional status, with an increase in anthropometric measurements.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Body Mass Index
  • Body Weight
  • Brazil
  • Breast Neoplasms / diet therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Energy Intake
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • Fruit / adverse effects
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Nutrition Assessment*
  • Nutritional Status*
  • Vegetables / adverse effects
  • Vitamins / metabolism
  • Waist-Hip Ratio

Substances

  • Vitamins

Grants and funding

This study received financial support from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brasil (CNPq Grant number: 449938/2014-0), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) and to Fundação PIO XII. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.