Changes in Body Composition in Patients with Small-Cell Lung Cancer

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Abstract
Body composition was studied in 31 patients receiving chemotherapy for small-cell lung cancer. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 4 wk of total parenteral nutrition (study group) or to continue a self-regulated oral diet (control group). The relationship between height and total body nitrogen was altered initially for patients who had lost > 5% of body weight. During the 4 wk of parenteral nutrition, body weight, total body fat, and total body K, but not total body N, increased significantly in the study group (P < 0.001). However, after parenteral nutrition was stopped, body weight and K levels in the study group fell significantly and to the same extent as in the control group. N levels showed an overall fall in the 32 wk of observation for both groups. After the period of parenteral nutrition, the decrease in body fat was significantly greater in the control group than in the study group (P < 0.05). Thus, parenteral nutrition increased body fat and total body K, but not total body N.