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What do patients and oncologists think about the evaluation and management of cancer-related anorexia-cachexia? The Quasar_SEOM study

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Abstract

Introduction

Cancer patients often suffer from malnutrition and early detection and raising awareness of nutritional issues is crucial in this population.

Methods

The Spanish Oncology Society (SEOM) conducted the Quasar_SEOM study to investigate the current impact of the Anorexia–Cachexia Syndrome (ACS). The study employed questionnaires and the Delphi method to gather input from both cancer patients and oncologists on key issues related to early detection and treatment of ACS. A total of 134 patients and 34 medical oncologists were surveyed about their experiences with ACS. The Delphi methodology was used to evaluate oncologists' perspectives of ACS management, ultimately leading to a consensus on the most critical issues.

Results

Despite widespread acknowledgement of malnutrition in cancer as a significant issue by 94% of oncologists, the study revealed deficiencies in knowledge and protocol implementation. A mere 65% of physicians reported being trained to identify and treat these patients, with 53% failing to address ACS in a timely manner, 30% not monitoring weight, and 59% not adhering to any clinical guidelines. The lack of experience was identified as the primary hindrance to the use of orexigens in 18% of cases. Furthermore, patients reported concerns and a perception of inadequate attention to malnutrition-related issues from their physicians.

Conclusion

The results of this study point to a gap in the care of this syndrome and a need to improve education and follow-up of cancer patients with anorexia-cachexia.

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Data availability

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to privacy and ethical restrictions but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. This is to respect privacy and confidentiality agreements with the study participants while also ensuring that the data can be accessed for legitimate and ethically-approved research purposes. All requests will be reviewed to verify that they are in line with ethical guidelines and the purpose of the study before any data is released.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the patients and the medical oncologists for participating and the continuous care group of the SEOM for supporting the study. Medical oncologists: José Andrés Rodríguez, Soledad Cameselle Garcia, Deborah Contreras, Marta Sotelo, Losune Guillén Blanco, Edurne Muruzábal, Laura Fernández, Maitane Ocáriz, Jorge Bartolomé, Lucía Notario, Alba Puente, Javier Bosque Moreno, Esmeralda García Torralba, Diego Iglesias Riera, Rocío Hernández-Pacheco Acosta, María García Obrero, Javier López.

Funding

The external consultant that managed the online platform for the realization of the study was funded by Viatris Pharmaceuticals S.L. The funder had no involvement in data collection, manuscript drafting, review, the decision to publish, or approval.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain

    Yolanda Escobar

  2. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain

    Avinash Ramchandani

  3. Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Orense, Orense, Spain

    Mercedes Salgado

  4. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, ISPA, Avenida de Roma s/n, Oviedo, Spain

    Alfredo Castillo-Trujillo & Paula Jimenez-Fonseca

  5. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIBAL, Santander, Spain

    Eva Martínez de Castro

  6. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario de Galdakao, Galdakao-Usansolo, Spain

    Isabela Diaz de Corcuera

  7. Medical Oncology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

    Ruth Vera

  8. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital San Pedro, Logroño, Spain

    Alejandra Lacalle

  9. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Bleza, Zaragoza, Spain

    Irene Torres

  10. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain

    Pedro Pérez Segura

  11. Medical Oncology Department, Instituto Catalán de Oncología (ICO), Badalona, Spain

    Cinta Hierro

  12. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain

    Diego Soto de Prado

  13. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario de Elda, Elda, Spain

    Almudena Cotes

  14. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital General Universitario Morales Meseguer, Murcia, Spain

    Gema Marín Zafra

  15. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Son Espases, Mallorca, Spain

    Raquel Marsé Fabregat

  16. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Virgen de La Macarena, Sevilla, Spain

    Juan Virizuela

  17. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital General Universitario de Ciudad Real, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Jose Carlos Villa

  18. Medical Oncology Department, Hospital San Pedro de Alcántara, Cáceres, Spain

    Pablo Borrega

Authors
  1. Yolanda Escobar
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  2. Avinash Ramchandani
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  3. Mercedes Salgado
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  4. Alfredo Castillo-Trujillo
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  9. Irene Torres
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  19. Paula Jimenez-Fonseca
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paula Jimenez-Fonseca.

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The other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest related to the scope of this study.

Ethics declarations

This study consisted of a survey of expert opinions and no patient data were collected, so no specific independent ethical or research review or informed consent or approval was necessary.

Informed consent

The study presented in this manuscript was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of [Institution Name]. Prior to participation in the study, all participants were provided with detailed written and verbal information about the study's purpose, procedures, potential risks and benefits, the voluntary nature of participation, their right to withdraw from the study at any time without consequence, and the measures taken to ensure their privacy and confidentiality. Each participant provided their informed consent in written form before taking part in the study.

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Escobar, Y., Ramchandani, A., Salgado, M. et al. What do patients and oncologists think about the evaluation and management of cancer-related anorexia-cachexia? The Quasar_SEOM study. Clin Transl Oncol 25, 3479–3491 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-023-03212-7

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