Assessment of Malnutrition among Chemotherapy Naïve and Experienced Breast Cancer Patients: A Comparative Cross- sectional and longitudinal

Background: Malnutrition is prevalent in cancer patients and is associated with a poor response to treatment. Thus, the early assessment of malnutrition is crucial for successful chemotherapy. This study aimed to assess malnutrition status among chemotherapy-naïve and experienced female breast cancer patients using Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) tools, blood biomarkers, and body mass index (BMI) at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (ACSH), Northern Ethiopia. Methods: A hospital-based comparative cross-sectional and longitudinal study was conducted at the ACSH from June 5, 2022, to June 13, 2023. This study included 166 female study subjects who were selected via convenience sampling and surveyed using a structured questionnaire at an oncology center. Briefly, 6 mL of venous blood was drawn and analyzed using a Cobas®6000 chemistry analyzer and Hemax®330 hematology analyzer. Independent t-test, chi-square test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r), and one-way ANOVA were used for analysis. Results: Among the cases, 77.5% and 81% were at an advanced cancer stage, with mean ages of 45.3 and 44.9 years for the chemotherapy-experienced and chemotherapy-naïve groups, respectively. The prevalence of malnutrition, as determined by GLIM, was 58.1% and 71.4% for chemotherapy-experienced and chemotherapy-naïve patients, respectively. Malnutrition prevalence was significantly higher among chemotherapy-naïve patients (p < 0.001), with a decrease in albumin, total protein (TP), and BMI. Conclusions: The high prevalence and risk of malnutrition among patients with breast cancer suggests that blood biomarkers and GLIM criteria can be used as alternative tools for the prompt detection of chemotherapy-related malnutrition levels and for guiding personalized cancer treatment plans.