The influence of body composition on quality of life of patients with breast cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Unwanted changes in body composition, as well as their impact on these people's quality of life, have been little investigated in patients with breast cancer. Objetive: To assess the role of body composition on quality of life and the impact of chemotherapy on both, in women with breast cancer. Methods: It was assessed prospectively women with breast cancer in a cohort of patients undergoing chemotherapy. Body composition was estimated through bioelectrical impedance. The quality of life was evaluated using the World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire. Results: This study assessed 70 women, 77 and 73% of those were initially overweight and had excess of body fat, respectively. There was a significant increase in fat-free mass (p > 0.001), body mass index (p = 0.03) and weight (p = 0.02) while quality of life stayed the same during the study. Moreover, women with excess of body fat showed a significantly lower initial general health score, compared to those with normal body fat (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Chemotherapy proved to be a potential inducer in the weight gain in this population. We highlight the importance of further investigation about the impact of body fat accumulation on those women's quality of life.

Keywords

• Composición corporal
• Cáncer de mama
• Calidad de vida
• Obesidad
• Sarcopenia