Examining variations in body composition among patients with colorectal cancer according to site and disease stage

Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) often exhibit changes in body composition (BC) which are associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Many studies group colon and rectal cancers together, irrespective of staging, potentially affecting assessment and treatment strategies. Our study aimed to compare BC in patients with CRC focusing on tumor location and metastasis presence. A total of 635 individuals were evaluated, with a mean age of 61.8 ± 12.4 years and 50.2% female. The majority had rectal cancer as the primary cancer site (51.0%), and 23.6% had metastatic disease. The first regression model showed tumor site and metastasis as independent factors influencing skeletal muscle (SM), skeletal muscle index (SMI), and visceral adipose tissue variability (all p values < 0.05). The second model, adjusted for BMI, indicated tumor site as the primary factor affecting SMI variations (adjusted R2 = 0.50 p < 0.001), with colon tumors inversely associated with SM (standardized β - 2.15(- 3.3; - 0.9) p < 0.001). A third model, considering all the confounders from the directed acyclic graphs, was constructed and the found association remained independent. Our findings highlight significant BC variations in patients with CRC, influenced by tumor location and metastases presence, underscoring the need for location-specific assessment in CRC management.

Impact of Chemotherapy Regimens on Body Composition of Breast Cancer Women: A Multicenter Study across Four Brazilian Regions

This study aimed to investigate the effect of chemotherapy (CT) and its different types of regimens on the anthropometry and body composition of women with breast cancer. Three-hundred-and-four women with breast cancer were enrolled in this multicenter study. The participants were evaluated before the infusion of the first cycle of CT (pre-CT), and until two weeks after CT completion (post-CT), regarding body weight, body mass index (BMI); waist circumference (WC); waist-to-height ratio (WHtR); conicity index (C-index); fat mass index (FMI); and fat-free mass index (FFMI). CT regimens were classified as anthracycline-based (AC—doxorubicin or epirubicin); anthracyclines and taxane (ACT); cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (CMF); or isolated taxanes (paclitaxel or docetaxel). Women significantly increased BMI and FMI post-CT (p < 0.001 and p = 0.007, respectively). The ACT regimen increased FMI (p < 0.001), while FFMI increased after AC (p = 0.007). It is concluded that the CT negatively impacted body composition and the type of regime had a strong influence. The ACT regimen promoted an increase in FMI compared to other regimens, and the AC increased FFMI. These findings reinforce the importance of nutritional monitoring of breast cancer patients throughout the entire CT treatment.

Evaluation of the relationship between nutritional status, levels of physical activity and physical strength in adolescents

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The study aimed at evaluating the relationship among anthropometric measurements, levels of physical activity and physical fitness in schoolchildren.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out in public schools, with 173 adolescents from 10 to 17 years of age. Socioeconomic data were obtained by a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measures were assessed and classified according to Body Mass Index (BMI)/age and Waist Circumference (WC). The long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to assess the level of physical activity, while the physical fitness level was assessed using the Projeto Esporte Brasil (PROESP) test protocol.

RESULTS

72,3% of the adolescents were eutrophic and 24.3% were overweight and 22.6% were at high risk for cardiovascular disease, with no statistical difference between the sexes (p > 0.05). 53.8% were physically inactive, regardless of sex and nutritional status. 86.1% of the adolescents showed low physical fitness, more significantly for sit-and-reach andsquare tests of females. BMI was directly correlated with physical fitness in the assessment ofupper limb power and agility (medicine ball throw and square test) and indirectly with aerobic capacity and lower limb power (abdominal resistance, horizontal jump and general resistance). The opposite was observed in the correlation of endurance (abdominal and general) and medicine ball throw with WC. Also, there was a likely visceral obesity and consequent cardiovascular risk in females more than in males.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings reinforce the connection between physical activity and the presence of overweight and obesity in adolescents and also the need to effectively intervene in this groupin order to ensure the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases in adulthood.

Carbon Footprint of Away-From-Home Food Consumption in Brazilian Diet

Environmentally unsustainable diets are often characterized by being high in calories, processed foods, and red meats, characteristics related to away-from-home food (AFHF). The aim of this study is to evaluate if AFHF consumption is related to environmental sustainability. Data of 20,780 adults from 24 h recalls collected in the 2017-2018 Brazilian National Dietary Survey (NDS) were used to estimate carbon footprint coefficients. The mean carbon footprint was estimated among individuals who consumed AFHF and non-consumers. Linear regression models were used to evaluate differences between away-from-home eating and the carbon footprint of the diet, adjusting for age and income. A total of 41% of Brazilians consumed AFHF during the previous day. The mean carbon footprint from foods consumed away from home represented 18% of the total carbon footprint. AFHF was positively associated with increased total carbon footprint (β: 204.1; p-value: 0.0145). In conclusion, the consumption of foods away from home in urban areas of Brazil was associated with atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions independently of age and income. Away-from-home food consumption should be considered to reinforce the influence of diet on individual and planet health.

[Inadequacy of macro and micronutrients on offer in two full-time public schools in Northeastern Brazil]

The National School Food Program guarantees the food of students in public and philanthropic schools by means of the transfer of funds. During adolescence, which is an important period of nutritional vulnerability, a healthy diet is responsible for the rates of physical growth and changes in body composition. The objective was to analyze the adequacy of macro- and micronutrients provided to adolescents in full-time public schools in northeastern Brazil. The menus were evaluated using the parameters to meet 70% of the daily nutritional needs in terms of macronutrients and micronutrients of the students involved. It was found that, for most age groups, energy requirements were not met, attaining the maximum adequacy of 86.2%, and protein ingestion was only sufficient on four days. The average amount of carbohydrates and lipids was below the recommended dose for all age groups. The levels of Vitamin C, zinc and calcium were insufficient in most of the meals on offer, though the iron quota was adequate for all age groups. The conclusion drawn is that enhanced planning needs to be incorporated in the preparation of menus to attempt to attain the requirements stipulated in the Program.

Bioelectrical impedance vector applied to body composition evaluation of women survivors of breast cancer: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the changes in the body composition of the women survivors of breast cancer and its association with clinical staging, using the bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA), over five years of follow-up.

METHODS

At baseline time 114 patients (T0) were selected and after 5 years (T1) of follow-up (n = 35) data of weight, body mass index, waist circumference, phase angle, resistance/height, reactance/height, %fat free mass and %fat mass were monitored. Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) and the vector displacement assessment took place according to the initial and advanced clinical staging (CS 1 and 2, respectively) and time of follow-up and have been showed using mean graph and RXc score graph.

RESULTS

Patients on CS 1 showed a reduction in reactance/height, phase angle, %fat free mass and an increase in %fat mass. The same group presented during the follow-up significant vector displacement by mean graph and a change to the 95% ellipse by the RXc score graph.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with breast cancer in the initial CS showed a more significant displacement of bioelectric vectors, indicating worsening in body composition.

Consumo de Alimentos Ultraprocessados por Mulheres Sobreviventes do Câncer de Mama

Introdução: A elevada prevalência de câncer de mama no Brasil em paralelo ao aumento no consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados sugere relação estreita entre esses fatores. Objetivo: Avaliar o consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados em mulheres sobreviventes do câncer de mama. Método: Estudo transversal com 100 mulheres com câncer de mama acompanhadas em centro de tratamento oncológico. Utilizando um questionário de frequência alimentar, os itens alimentares consumidos foram agrupados em in natura, processados e ultraprocessados, conforme classificação NOVA. A contribuição energética de cada grupo de alimento deu-se pela razão entre caloria proveniente do grupo e caloria total. As pacientes foram categorizadas em elevado e baixo consumo de ultraprocessados e as diferenças entre os dois grupos (variáveis categóricas) foram testadas por X2 de Pearson. A relação entre a ingestão de calorias provenientes de ultraprocessados e a ingestão de energia e de nutrientes específicos foi baseada em modelos de regressão linear brutos e ajustados por idade, escolaridade e índice de massa corporal. Resultados: Das calorias ingeridas pelas pacientes, 27,1% eram de ultraprocessados. As com alto consumo de ultraprocessados tinham menor ingestão de proteínas (p=0,0372) e fibras (p=0,0458) e maior de gordura poli-insaturada (p=0,0019) e sódio (p=0,0068). O consumo de ultraprocessados implicou em menor ingestão de in natura e maior de sódio, gordura total e de suas frações (p<0,05). Conclusão: Mulheres sobreviventes do câncer de mama tem um terço da sua alimentação composto por ultraprocessados associados a redução no consumo de in natura, proteínas e fibras.

Label-Free Proteome Analysis of Plasma from Patients with Breast Cancer: Stage-Specific Protein Expression

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer among women. Breast cancer mortality rates remain high probably because its diagnosis is hampered by inaccurate detection methods. Since changes in protein expression as well as modifications in protein glycosylation have been frequently reported in cancer development, the aim of this work was to study the differential expression as well as modifications of glycosylation of proteins from plasma of women with breast cancer at different stages of disease (n = 30) compared to healthy women (n = 10). A proteomics approach was used that depleted albumin and IgG from plasma followed by glycoprotein enrichment using immobilized Moraceae lectin (frutalin)-affinity chromatography and data-independent label-free mass spectrometric analysis. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD003106. As result, 57,016 peptides and 4,175 proteins among all samples were identified. From this, 40 proteins present in unbound (PI—proteins that did not interact with lectin) and bound (PII—proteins that interacted with lectin) fractions were differentially expressed. High levels of apolipoprotein A-II were detected here that were elevated significantly in the early and advanced stages of the disease. Apolipoprotein C-III was detected in both fractions, and its level was increased slightly in the PI fraction of patients with early-stage breast cancer and expressed at higher levels in the PII fraction of patients with early and intermediate stages. Clusterin was present at higher levels in both fractions of patients with early and intermediate stages of breast cancer. Our findings reveal a correlation between alterations in protein glycosylation, lipid metabolism, and the progression of breast cancer.

Influência do Tratamento Antineoplásico sobre os Vetores de Bioimpedância Elétrica em Pacientes com Câncer de Mama

Introdução: A quimioterapia aparece como promotora do aumento no peso e no percentual de gordura, os quais estão em conexão com o desenvolvimento da carcinogênese mamária. Objetivo: Avaliar a influência do tratamento antineoplásico sobre a composição corporal e vetores de impedância bioelétrica em mulheres com neoplasia da mama. Método: Estudo observacional, tipo antes e depois, realizado de março de 2012 a junho de 2013, no Hospital Geral de Fortaleza (Ceará, Brasil), com 30 mulheres com tumor na mama, avaliadas após o diagnóstico e antes do tratamento antineoplásico (M1), e após o tratamento antineoplásico (M2). Coletaram-se dados antropométricos, de composição corporal e valores de resistência (R) e reactância (Xc) para análise vetorial de impedância bioelétrica (BIVA). Resultados: Os percentuais de gordura corporal estiveram acima do recomendado nos dois momentos [M1= 35,6% (4,9) e M2= 35,3% (4,7)] e os valores de massa magra foram, respectivamente, 64,3% (4,9), 64,6% (4,7) sem diferenças significativas. A Reactância (p=0,001) e o ângulo de fase (p=0,000) apresentaram-se diminuídos no M2. Os vetores de impedância, quando comparados M1 e M2, não mostraram deslocamento significativo (p=0,053). Entretanto, ao serem comparados com o vetor médio de uma população de referência, apresentaram deslocamento significativo antes (T2=95,2; p=0,000) e após (T2=53,2; p=0,000) o tratamento antineoplásico, indicando alterações nas propriedades elétricas dos tecidos, retenção hídrica e perda de massa celular. Conclusão: A composição corporal não se alterou após o tratamento antineoplásico. As modificações nos vetores de impedância foram sugestivas de alterações nas propriedades elétricas dos tecidos, indicando pior prognóstico clínico.

Effect of chemotherapy on dietary glycemic index and load in patients with breast cancer and their relationships to body fat and phase angle

Dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are indicators of carbohydrate consumption and widely used in studies evaluating the risk for breast cancer. However, the effect of chemotherapy on these indices has been scarcely studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate dietary levels of GI and GL in women with breast cancer during chemotherapy treatment and their relationships to body fat and phase angle. Twenty-five patients were assessed according to demographic, clinical, anthropometric, and food consumption data. Dietary intake was assessed by 24-h dietary recalls applied on nonconsecutive days. Anthropometric measures and body composition were determined at all study timepoints: prior to the first chemotherapy cycle (T0), immediately after the last chemotherapy cycle (T1), and 2 months after T1 (T2). There was no difference in mean GI and GL among study timepoints. However, a high prevalence of inadequate GI and GL values was noted, independent of study timepoint. GI and GL were associated with phase angle at T1. GI was associated with percentage fat at T0 only. Dietary GI and GL were unchanged during chemotherapy, but were associated with indicators of clinical outcome, such as percentage fat and phase angle.

Aversão alimentar adquirida e qualidade de vida em mulheres com neoplasia mamária

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o comportamento alimentar de mulheres com câncer de mama submetidas à quimioterapia, e sua relação com a qualidade de vida destas pacientes. MÉTODOS: A partir de um ensaio clínico do tipo antes e depois, selecionou-se 25 mulheres do Hospital AC Camargo (São Paulo, Brasil) durante o período de outubro de 2005 a abril de 2006. As pacientes inclusas no estudo apresentavam diagnóstico de câncer de mama, com estadiamento I e II e indicação de tratamento quimioterápico adjuvante. Nos momentos T0 (antes) e T1 (após o tratamento quimioterápico), o comportamento alimentar (consumo e aversão alimentar) foi avaliado por três recordatórios 24 horas e um questionário Food Action, respectivamente. A qualidade de vida foi monitorada por meio do questionário Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast. RESULTADOS: Após o tratamento quimioterápico (T1), o consumo de macro e micronutrientes não apresentou alterações significantes, mas o consumo de frutas e sucos aumentou (p=0,03). Perfil inverso foi observado em relação à preferência por café preto (p=0,01) e pelo grupo de bebidas (p<0,001). Alimentos gordurosos (38%), laticínios (23%), café preto (15%), chá (15%), chocolate (7%) e carne vermelha (7%) foram os principais alimentos associados ao desconforto das pacientes. Análises de qualidade de vida mostraram que o tratamento quimioterápico promoveu significante redução no bem estar físico (p<0,01). Após o mesmo, algumas variáveis do comportamento alimentar foram significantemente correlacionadas com os parâmetros de qualidade de vida. CONCLUSÃO: A relação bilateral entre comportamento alimentar e qualidade de vida foi modificada negativamente pelo tratamento quimioterápico.