Association between nutritional targets and muscle index changes in patients with terminal cancer under palliative care
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background/aim: Malnutrition and muscle wasting are common in terminal cancer patients and adversely affect prognosis. Bedside muscle ultrasonography (US) has emerged as a practical tool to assess nutritional status and monitor therapy. This study evaluated the relationship between achieving individualized nutritional targets and changes in muscle indices measured by US in terminal cancer patients receiving palliative care. Materials and methods: ). A total of 95 patients with complete retrospective data were included; 74.7% achieved their caloric targets, while 25.3% did not. Results: Patients who failed to meet caloric goals exhibited significantly greater reductions across all muscle parameters. Among those who achieved caloric targets, protein intake ≥1.5 g/kg/day was associated with reduced muscle loss compared to lower intake. The RF muscle was particularly sensitive to nutritional status, exhibiting more pronounced changes in response to both caloric and protein adequacy. No significant differences were observed between feeding routes, although patients receiving parenteral nutrition tended to exhibit greater decline. Correlation analyses demonstrated a significant negative association between time to achieve caloric targets and muscle preservation, underscoring the importance of early intervention. Linear regression further identified delayed caloric achievement as an independent predictor of accelerated muscle loss. Conclusion: Achieving caloric and high-protein targets is critical for preserving muscle mass in terminal cancer patients. US, particularly of the RF muscle, provides a reliable, noninvasive, and practical tool for monitoring the effects of nutritional interventions in this vulnerable population.
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4415314957