Researchers Say Nutritional Status Could Influence Mesothelioma Progression, Survival
The human body is an amazing machine that needs constant fuel to perform at its best. Food is that fuel. Without it, the body will slowly break down, opening up the door to a host of diseases and conditions. What this means is, good nutrition is essential throughout your life for overall good health. Good nutrition becomes even more crucial when you are facing an uphill battle against a debilitating disease such as mesothelioma.
A research group has confirmed this belief in a recent study that analyzed patients’ nutritional status and the impact it can have on treatment outcomes. The study, titled “The Controlling Nutritional Status Score Is a Significant Independent Predictor of Poor Prognosis in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma," consisted of nearly 100 MPM patients who were treated with surgery, chemotherapy, or multidisciplinary therapy. More than half the patients had low CONUT scores, indicating good nutrition. The rest had high CONUT scores, indicating poor nutrition.
The study concluded that patients with high CONUT scores had significantly poorer overall survival and disease- or progression-free survival.
The CONUT score has been used to predict prognosis in other types of malignancy and to help determine which patients will benefit from the most common cancer treatments. Before this study, the significance of the CONUT scores in patients with MPM was unknown.
What You Can Do to Lower Your CONUT Score
If an MPM patient has a high CONUT score, all is not lost. Nutrition can be improved during and after cancer treatment with simple modifications such as eating and drinking enough of the foods and liquids that have the important nutrients the body needs. This includes vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fat, and water. Not only will better nutrition help improve the chances of recovery, it can greatly improve quality of life during every phase of treatment and beyond.
If you are undergoing treatment for mesothelioma, nutrition therapy is likely a part of your program. Because cancer and cancer treatments can change the way the body uses food, it is important to follow your doctors program precisely for better outcomes.
Sources
Chew, Tinrin. "Chapter 7: Maintaining Good Nutrition." The Chemotherapy Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Get through Treatment. By Judith McKay and Tamera Schacher. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2009. 103-22. Print.
"New Study Explores the Link Between Nutritional Status and Mesothelioma Treatment Outcomes." abc6 News. WLNE-TV, 14 Mar. 2017. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.
"Nutrition in Cancer Care." National Cancer Institute (NCI). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health (NIH), n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.
Takamori, Shinkichi, Gouji Toyokawa, Kenichi Taguchi, Makoto Edagawa, Shinichiro Shimamatsu, and Kaname Nosaki. "The Controlling Nutritional Status Score Is a Significant Independent Predictor of Poor Prognosis in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma." Clinical Lung Cancer (2017): n. pag. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.
