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Dysgeusia and weight loss under treatment with vismodegib: benefit of nutritional management

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Abstract

Purpose

Whereas vismodegib is effective in the treatment of locally advanced/metastatic basal cell carcinoma, dysgeusia and weight loss are common side effects of such treatment. The main objective of this study was to monitor the nutritional status of vismodegib-treated patients. Secondary objective was to assess the incidence of dysgeusia and the benefit of early nutritional management.

Methods

This prospective study included all patients who started vismodegib between October 2011 and May 2013 at Nantes University Hospital. Prior to July 2012, patients treated with vismodegib had not received any specific nutritional management (Historical cohort). Body weight and presence of dysgeusia were recorded monthly. Patients treated after July 2012 (Nutrition cohort) were evaluated by a physician of the Nutrition Support Unit and received dietary counseling at vismodegib initiation. A standardized nutritional management protocol was initiated in case of significant weight loss.

Results

Forty-five patients (21 and 24 in the Nutrition and Historical cohort, respectively) were enrolled. In the Nutrition cohort, five patients (24 %) were undernourished at vismodegib initiation, and the 6-month cumulative incidence of dysgeusia was 71 %. Eight patients (38 %) and 13 patients (54 %) had a weight loss greater than 5 % in the Nutrition and Historical cohort, respectively (p = 0.3727).

Conclusion

The results of this pilot study suggest the benefit of early nutritional screening. The potential benefit of nutritional support in this setting warrants further investigation.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Dietary Service and the dieticians who took part in this study.

Compliance with ethical standards

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Disclosure

The authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Funding sources

None.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dermato-cancerology Unit, University Hospital Hôtel-Dieu, Nantes, France

    Marie Le Moigne, Mélanie Saint-Jean, Gaëlle Quéreux, Lucie Peuvrel, Anabelle Brocard, Amir Khammari & Brigitte Dréno

  2. Inserm, UMR 892, CIC Biotherapy Inserm 0503, Nantes, France

    Marie Le Moigne, Mélanie Saint-Jean, Gaëlle Quéreux, Lucie Peuvrel, Anabelle Brocard, Amir Khammari & Brigitte Dréno

  3. Nutrition Support Team IMAD, DHU 2020, University Hospital Hôtel-Dieu, Nantes, France

    Adam Jirka & Dominique Darmaun

  4. SEB, University Hospital Hôtel-Dieu, Nantes, France

    Aurélie Gaultier

  5. Dermato-cancerology Unit, University Hospital Hôtel-Dieu, Place Alexis Ricordeau, 44093, Cedex 01, France

    Brigitte Dréno

Authors
  1. Marie Le Moigne
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  2. Mélanie Saint-Jean
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  3. Adam Jirka
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  4. Gaëlle Quéreux
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  5. Lucie Peuvrel
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  6. Anabelle Brocard
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  7. Aurélie Gaultier
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  8. Amir Khammari
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  9. Dominique Darmaun
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  10. Brigitte Dréno
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brigitte Dréno.

Additional information

Marie Le Moigne, Mélanie Saint-Jean, and Adam Jirka shared first authorship.

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Le Moigne, M., Saint-Jean, M., Jirka, A. et al. Dysgeusia and weight loss under treatment with vismodegib: benefit of nutritional management. Support Care Cancer 24, 1689–1695 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2932-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2932-1

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