Quality of life and aspects related nutrition in advance stages non-small cell lung cancer patients

Abstract

Background: The quality of life (QoL) associated nutritional symptoms among advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess the impact of nutrition-related symptoms (indicated by Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment-PG-SGA) to QoL among individuals diagnosed with advanced NSCLC, utilizing the EORTC QLQ-LC13 tool. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 170 patients diagnosed with NSCLC (TxNxM1) with periodically chemotherapy treatment at Hanoi Oncology hospital were invited to the study. The PG-SGA and EORTC QLQ-LC13 were assessed by a dietitian. Results: Poor nutritional status related with decrease in QoL (p < 0.05). Cough and short of breath moderate-positively correlated with PG-SGA score, while pain, take medicine for pain and trouble swallowing were fairly correlated. The symptoms of cough up blood, sore mouth or tongue, tingling and hair lost had poor correlation with PG-SGA score. Loss of appetite and anorexia had poor negative correlation with short of breath and pain in arm or shoulder. Conclusions: QoL declined in advance stage NSCLC malnutrition patients. Nutrition-related symptoms had poor to fair correlation with QoL categories, which suggests the insufficiency on solely addressing nutritional symptoms to enhance QoL in this group.