The nutritional status of older men with advanced prostate cancer and factors affecting it

Aim: Our aim was to study the nutritional status of older men receiving treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PC). Method: We assessed 80 patients: 40 patients with advanced PC (research group) and 40 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (control group). The instruments used were: Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)-Short Form. Complementary questions were asked reflecting nutritional status. Results: Mean age of PC patients was 72 (65-94) years and that of control group 71 (65-85) years. Patients with PC had rapid weight loss-15 (39.5%) of patients lost more than 3 kg over 3 months. Depressive symptomatology was more common in the research group (p<0.05), and it was inversely correlated with nutrition. Age had no influence on symptoms of depression. Digestive disorders troubled 23 (57.5%) of the research group and 14 (20%) of the control group. Digestive troubles had an influence on appetite in both groups r=0.54 and r=0.46 (p<0.05). No patient who had digestive symptoms was instructed as to how to control them. Conclusions: Among PC patients, 50% were at risk of malnutrition compared to 7.5% in the BPH group, as assessed by the MNA questionnaire. Patients suffering from PC were more depressed than those with BPH. A higher degree of depressive symptomatology was related to poorer nutritional status. Assessment of nutritional status is important and should be routinely performed in older men with PC.