Evaluation of the relationship between serum ghrelin levels and cancer cachexia in patients with locally advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy

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Uysal P., Afsar C. U., Sözer V., Inanc B., Agaoglu F., Güral Z., ...More

JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH AND THERAPEUTICS, vol.16, no.4, pp.855-859, 2020 (SCI-Expanded)

• Publication Type: Article / Article
• Volume: 16 Issue: 4
• Publication Date: 2020
• Doi Number: 10.4103/jcrt.jcrt_10_19
• Journal Name: JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH AND THERAPEUTICS
• Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, CAB Abstracts, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Veterinary Science Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
• Page Numbers: pp.855-859
• Yıldız Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Background: Ghrelin plays a role in mechanisms related to cancer progression - including cell proliferation, invasion and migration, and resistance to apoptosis in the cell lines from several cancers. We investigated the role of ghrelin levels in cancer cachexia-anorexia in patients with locally advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Materials and Methods: This study involved 84 NSCLC patients who had received concomitant CRT. Blood ghrelin levels were compared before and 3 months after CRT. Meanwhile, changes in body weight of the patients were also investigated with changes in ghrelin levels before and after CRT. Results: Ghrelin levels were significantly decreased in line with changes in patients' weights in patients receiving CRT (P < 0.001). Serum albumin levels and inflammatory-nutritional index were significantly decreased after radiotherapy (RT) (3.01 0.40 g/dL, 0.38 +/- 0.20) when compared with its baseline levels (3.40 +/- 0.55 g/dL,P < 0.001; 0.86 0.71,P < 0.001, respectively). Serum C-reactive protein levels were significantly increased after CRT (7.49 6.53 mg/L) when compared with its baseline levels (9.54 +/- 3.80 mg/L,P = 0.038). After RT, ghrelin levels in patients were positively correlated with body mass index (r = 0.830,P < 0.001) and albumin (r = 0.758,P < 0.001). Conclusion: Ghrelin may play a role in the pathogenesis of weight loss in NSCLC patients. Ghrelin seems to be implicated in cancer-related weight loss. Ghrelin, cancer, and RT all together have a role in tumor-related anorexia-cachexia in patients with NSCLC. Results of this study need further evaluation as regards to its potential role as an adjuvant diagnostic or prognostic marker.