Abstract

Background: Malnutrition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients is caused by various factors such as tumor localization, metabolic derangement, and side effects of therapy. Poor nutritional status in cancer patients is associated with serious clinical consequences such as poor quality of life, higher treatment toxicity, and poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of nutritional status before chemotherapy on the nutritional status after chemotherapy in non-metastatic advance-stage NPC patients. Methods: This study was an observational study with a cross sectional design using secondary data involving non-metastatic advanced-stage NPC patients undergoing chemotherapy at dr. Kariadi Hospital Semarang in January 2020 – June 2022. The sampling technique used was consecutive sampling. Nutritional status was measured by malnutrition criteria according to the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN). Statistical analysis was performed with Chi-Square and McNemar analysis test. Results: Total sample of this study was 55 subjects. The results of this study were there was a relationship between nutritional status before chemotherapy and nutritional status after chemotherapy in non-metastatic advanced-stage NPC patients (P<0.05). All subjects were malnourished before chemotherapy, with 12.7% moderately malnourished and 87.3% severely malnourished. All subjects were malnourished after chemotherapy, with 41.8% moderately malnourished and 58.2% severely malnourished, decreased nutritional status of post-chemotherapy non-metastatic advanced NPC patients was related to the length of chemotherapy (p<0.05), but not related to comorbidities, age, and stage of chemotherapy (p>0.05). Conclusion: There is a relationship between nutritional status before chemotherapy and nutritional status after chemotherapy in non-metastatic advanced-stage NPC patients.