Background: Cancer disease is usually associated with impaired nutritional status, which is one of the factors contributing to deterioration of the results of surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine whether nutritional support with high protein (ONS) in adult oncologic patients in the first step of cancer cachexia—asymptomatic precachexia, has an influence on the toxicity of systemic therapy. However, secondary endpoints were established: to determine whether high protein ONS influences the nutritional status, the quality of life, and the performance status. Materials and Methods: A total of 114 persons aged 40–84 years old with colorectal cancer were examined. Based on the randomization, 47 patients were qualified to the interventional group (ONS group) and 48 to Control group. To evaluate the nutritional status NRS-2002 (Nutritional Risk Screening), SGA (Subjective Global Assessment), SCRINIO (SCReenIng the Nutritional status In Oncology) Working Group classification, VAS (Visual Analog Scale) for appetite was used. FAACT (Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy) questionnaire was used for assessment of the quality of life. The health status of patients was evaluated based on the Karnofsky Performance Scale. Anthropometric measurements were done. Results: Severe complications of chemotherapy, which caused the end of treatment, a slight complication of the gastrointestinal tract such as diarrhea grade 2 according to ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) score regardless of the studied group, were observed. There were no statistical differences in the number and severity of the observed complications, i.e., neutropenia, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea. During the follow-up the significant changes of SGA, VAS, albumin and prealbumin were observed between groups. In the ONS group an improvement in nutritional status was noticed (increased appetite VAS, p = 0.05; increased points in SGA, p = 0.015, and increased levels of albumin and prealbumin, p = 0.05). In Control group nutritional status was stable during observation. The performance status and quality of life were stable in both groups. No statistical differences between groups (ONS vs. Control) in the numbers for disqualification, resignation, delay in treatment, or dose reduction were observed. Conclusions: Results of the study did not indicate that nutritional support in precachectic oncologic patients influenced the toxicity of systemic therapy. High protein nutritional support improved nutritional status assessed by SGA, VAS for appetite, albumin, and prealbumin. The performance status and quality of life were stable throughout the observation and were not changed under the supplementation.

Aim of the study . Cancer is usually associated with impaired nutritional status, which is one of the factors contributing to the deterioration of the results of surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. The aim of this study was the assessment of the nutritional status of patients with CRC...

Background/Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is associated with anorexia–cachexia syndrome, which negatively affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to evaluate HRQoL and functional status in CRC patients undergoing chemotherapy who were eligible for oral nutritional supplementation (ONS). Methods: In this prospective, randomized study, 72 patients with stage II–IV CRC were enrolled (40 intervention group [IG], 32 control group [CG]). IG received ONS (2 × 125 mL/day, 600 kcal, 36 g protein) for 12 weeks, while CG received dietary counseling only. HRQoL was assessed every 4 weeks with the Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT, version 4.0). Functional status was evaluated with the Karnofsky scale. Nutritional status was assessed using the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002), and body mass index (BMI), and appetite was assessed on a visual analogue scale (VAS). Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02848807. Results: Mean FAACT score did not differ significantly between groups over 12 weeks (101.0 ± 22.8, 95% CI: 94.6–107.4 vs. 105.1 ± 21.4, 95% CI: 99.1–111.1; p = 0.06). However, the observed difference corresponded to an effect size at the lower bound of the moderate range. However, minimally important difference (MID) analysis demonstrated that clinically meaningful improvement was significantly more frequent in IG than in CG for global FAACT (32% vs. 8%; p = 0.03, OR = 5.50, 95% CI: 1.10–27.62, φ = 0.29), physical well-being (32% vs. 8%; p = 0.03, OR = 5.50, 95% CI: 1.10–27.62, φ = 0.29), and emotional well-being (38% vs. 4%; p = 0.002, OR = 14.86, 95% CI: 1.79–123.36, φ = 0.40). Functional well-being and anorexia/cachexia concerns showed favorable, but nonsignificant, trends (FWB improvement: 29% vs. 8%, p = 0.05, OR = 4.79, 95% CI: 0.95–24.27, φ = 0.26; ACS deterioration: 3% vs. 20%, p = 0.07, OR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.01–1.11, φ = 0.28). HRQoL correlated positively with nutritional status, appetite, and functional performance, while Karnofsky scores remained stable in both groups. Conclusions: ONS did not significantly change the mean QoL scores at the group level but increased the proportion of patients achieving clinically meaningful improvement, particularly in the physical and emotional domains. These findings suggest that ONS may benefit selected patients who respond to nutritional interventions, underscoring the clinical relevance of individualized nutrition strategies in oncology.