Impacto no peso e na composição corporal em mulheres com câncer de mama submetidas a quimioterapia

Abstract

Background: The chemotherapeutic treatment of breast cancer leads to changes in weight and body composition. The present study aimed to analyze the impact of chemotherapy on the body weight and body composition of women with breast cancer. Methods: This prospective study followed 76 women diagnosed with stage I to III breast cancer for 8 chemotherapy cycles at 21-day intervals. The following assessments were conducted: tetrapolar bioimpedance analysis, waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference, anthropometric data, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI), systemic arterial pressure and biochemical analysis. Considering the weight changes during treatment, the sample was divided into three subgroups: patients who gained ≥ 2 kg (group 1, n = 38), patients who lost ≥ 2 kg (group 2, n = 13), and patients whose weight varied between 0 and < 2 kg (group 3, n = 25). RESULTS: In group 1, the following changes were observed: increases in weight (p = 0.0000), BMI (p = 0.0001), WC (p = 0.0000), glucose levels (p = 0.0359), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (p = 0.0189) and body fat percentage (p = 0.0316). In group 2, there was a progressive decline in weight (p = 0.0000), WC (p = 0.0450) and body fat percentage (p = 0.0126), but there was an increase in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (p = 0.0397), WHR (p = 0.0031) and triglyceride levels (p = 0.0436). For group 3, there was an increase in weight (p = 0.0000), DBP (p = 0.0330) and BMI (p = 0.0026) and a decrease in HDL cholesterol levels (p = 0.0115). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that chemotherapy administered to women with breast cancer can induce changes in body weight, body composition and metabolic profile. Therefore, follow-up and monitoring of changes in body weight, body composition and metabolic profile are necessary, especially in women with a weight gain equal to or greater than two kilograms during treatment.