P-208 Pre-therapy physical function and body status of patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer compared to breast cancer patients and healthy women

Abstract

Introduction: Many studies report that frailty, cachexia and decreased physical function during chemotherapy (CT) of cancer patients predict a higher mortality risk. Although a high prevalence of these symptoms in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients is known, there is almost no data on functional and body status in this population. The aim of the study is to compare muscle status and physical function of patients with advanced GI cancer to breast cancer patients and healthy volunteers. Methods: In a 3-arm cross-sectional study 30 female advanced cancer patients (UICC ≥ III) (breast (n = 17; 66.9 ± 2.3 years; BMI 23.6 ± 3.8 kg/m2); GI (n = 17; 70.1 ± 3.1 years; BMI 23.6 ± 5.3 kg/m2) before first-line CT and 17 healthy age-matched women (69.4 ± 1.4 years; BMI 24.2 ± 3.3 kg/m2) are examined. Body composition was obtained from bioelectrical impedance analysis, daily physical activity from accelerometry (Actigraph), self-selected gait speed by using a capacitive force-measuring platform (Zebris) and maximal isometric voluntary force (MIVF) by a strain gauge force transducer (ASYS). Results: ANOVA with post-hoc test and Bonferroni correction show sign. Differences in functional and body status of GI cancer patients compared to breast cancer patients and healthy women. GI cancer patients show lower values in phase angle (4.5 ± 0.8°; 5.4 ± 0.4°; 5.3 ± 0.5 °; p < .01). The moderate to vigorous activity (7.3 ± 11.9; 36.9 ± 28.5 min.; p = .001), steps per day (3125 ± 2396; 8703 ± 4104, p < A001) are decreased compared to healthy women. Conclusion: This is one of the first studies with detailed information and comparative analysis on the functional and body status of patients with advanced GI cancers before CT. The functional and body status is very limited before CT compared to advanced breast cancer patients and healthy women. Gait speed, phase angle and force are below the cut-off values for low prognosis of survival and may reflect a diminished tolerance of CT. Measures to improve muscle status, physical function and its effects on treatment is warranted in patients with advanced GI cancers.