Overview
The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a multifactorial education and support program for the prevention of cancer-related cachexia syndrome, for patients and their family caregivers during anti-cancer treatment.
Description
After being informed about the study and the need to nominate a family caregiver, all patients and their family caregiver giving written informed consent, they will undergo a 12-weeks multimodal program. Randomly they will divided into two groups (intervention and control). This 12-weeks multimodal program includes 4 meetings (with cancer nurse and clinical dietician). In this 4 meetings (about 30 minutes) they will have blood tests (CRP, Albumin levels), body composition measurements, questionnaires, education on their diet and symptom management.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- 18 years old or older
- Participants must be diagnosed with solid tumour (stomach, colorectal, pancreas, breast, lung)
- Participants needing chemotherapy/immunotherapy/hormone therapy/target therapy
- Participants must be normal or pre cachectic as defined by the guidelines
- Read and understand Greek or English
Exclusion Criteria:
- Haematologic tumors
- Parenteral Nutrition
- ECOG Performance status >2 or Karnofsky Performance Status <60%
- Participant who can not introduce a family caregiver
- Participants in cachexia or refractory cachexia stage as defined by the guidelines
- below
-
- >5% weight loss over the past 6 months (in absence of simple starvation); OR
- BMI <20 and any degree of weight loss >2%; OR
- Appendicular skeletal muscle index consistent with sarcopenia (whole body fat-free mass index without bone determined by bioelectrical impedance (men <14.6 kg/m²; women <11.4 kg/m²) and weight loss >2%
- Patients who use complementary therapies (ex-acupuncture)