Undernutrition in elderly patients with cancer: Target for diagnosis and intervention

• Published in: Critical reviews in oncology/hematology Vol. 67; no. 3; pp. 243 - 254
• Main Authors: Blanc-Bisson, Christèle, Fonck, Marianne, Rainfray, Muriel, Soubeyran, Pierre, Bourdel-Marchasson, Isabelle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.09.2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Cachexia - diet therapy; Cancer; Comprehensive geriatric assessment; Diet Therapy; Dietary intervention; Elderly; Geriatric Assessment - methods; Geriatrics - methods; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Malnutrition - diagnosis; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Multiple tumors. Solid tumors. Tumors in childhood (general aspects); Neoplasms - diagnosis; Neoplasms - pathology; Neoplasms - therapy; Nutritional Status; Other nutritional diseases (malnutrition, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies...); Prognosis; Survival; Tumors; Undernutrition; Comprehensive geriatric assessment; Dietary intervention; Elderly; Survival; Undernutrition; Cancer; Human; Prognosis; Nutrition disorder; Malignant tumor; Cancerology; Diet therapy; Diagnosis; Malnutrition; Geriatrics
• ISSN: 1040-8428; 1879-0461
• DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2008.04.005

Abstract In recent years, geriatricians and oncologists have worked together to evaluate elderly patients with cancer before and during treatment, to estimate the balance between the efficacy and safety of chemotherapy and to upgrade treatment in this population according to their comorbidity and physiological status. The clinical and biological factors of this population need to be assessed in multidisciplinary comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in order to optimize treatment without inducing major adverse effects. We reviewed the nutritional aspects of this evaluation that highlight the impact of undernutrition on poor survival. In this paper we briefly describe tumoral cachexia (molecular and physiological), the impact of undernutrition on cancer prognosis (predictive factors), therapeutic effects of cancer on nutritional status, nutritional indicators (biological, anthropometric) and undernutrition in the elderly (specific needs of this population). The potential for nutritional intervention in geriatric oncology with regard to CGA is explored.