Christine Germain, Adélaïde Doussau, F. Chomy, Christelle Blanc-Bisson, Joël Ceccaldi, Sandrine Lavau-Denes, Cyril Lahmar, Jérôme Dauba, Cédric Lecaille, Pierre Soubeyran, L. Cany, Geneviève Chêne, Nadine Houede, Mariane Fonck, Isabelle Bourdel-Marchasson, Pierre Senesse, Eric Terrebonne, Jessica Durrieu, Jean-Frédéric Blanc, CHU Bordeaux [Bordeaux], Centre Hospitalier Layné, Polyclinique Bordeaux Nord Aquitaine, Centre Hospitalier Libourne, Clinique Francheville [Périgueux], CHU Limoges, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nîmes (CHU Nîmes), Institut Bergonié [Bordeaux], UNICANCER, Institut de recherche en cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM - U896 Inserm - UM1), CRLCC Val d'Aurelle - Paul Lamarque-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université Montpellier 1 (UM1), Dynamique des capacités humaines et des conduites de santé (EPSYLON), Université Montpellier 1 (UM1)-Université Paul-Valéry - Montpellier 3 (UPVM)-Université de Montpellier (UM), Epidémiologie et Biostatistique [Bordeaux], Université Bordeaux Segalen - Bordeaux 2-Institut de Santé Publique, d'Épidémiologie et de Développement (ISPED)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Université Montpellier 1 (UM1)-CRLCC Val d'Aurelle - Paul Lamarque-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université de Montpellier (UM), and Nowak, Cécile
International audience; OBJECTIVE: We tested the effect of dietary advice dedicated to increase intake in older patients at risk for malnutrition during chemotherapy, versus usual care, on one-year mortality. METHOD: We conducted a multicentre, open-label interventional, stratified (centre), parallel randomised controlled trial, with a 1ratio1 ratio, with two-year follow-up. Patients were aged 70 years or older treated with chemotherapy for solid tumour and at risk of malnutrition (MNA, Mini Nutritional Assessment 17-23.5). Intervention consisted of diet counselling with the aim of achieving an energy intake of 30 kCal/kg body weight/d and 1.2 g protein/kg/d, by face-to-face discussion targeting the main nutritional symptoms, compared to usual care. Interviews were performed 6 times during the chemotherapy sessions for 3 to 6 months. The primary endpoint was 1-year mortality and secondary endpoints were 2-year mortality, toxicities and chemotherapy outcomes. RESULTS: Between April 2007 and March 2010 we randomised 341 patients and 336 were analysed: mean (standard deviation) age of 78.0 y (4.9), 51.2% male, mean MNA 20.2 (2.1). Distribution of cancer types was similar in the two groups; the most frequent were colon (22.4%), lymphoma (14.9%), lung (10.4%), and pancreas (17.0%). Both groups increased their dietary intake, but to a larger extent with intervention (p\textless0.01). At the second visit, the energy target was achieved in 57 (40.4%) patients and the protein target in 66 (46.8%) with the intervention compared respectively to 13 (13.5%) and 20 (20.8%) in the controls. Death occurred during the first year in 143 patients (42.56%), without difference according to the intervention (p = 0.79). No difference in nutritional status changes was found. Response to chemotherapy was also similar between the groups. CONCLUSION: Early dietary counselling was efficient in increasing intake but had no beneficial effect on mortality or secondary outcomes. Cancer cachexia antianabolism may explain this lack of effect. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00459589.