Experience Of Weight Loss And Its Burden In Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Results Of An Online Survey.

71 Background: The main objectives of this study were to characterize and compare the burden of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who reported considerable weight loss ( ≥ 5% of their body weight in the past 6 months or ≥ 2% for a BMI less than 20 kg/m2) to those who did not. Methods: 95 advanced NSCLC patients were surveyed from the online patient-powered community PatientsLikeMe. Self-reported demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Appetite, distress and concerns, health-related quality of life (QLQ-C15-PAL) and anorexia-cachexia symptoms/concerns (FAACT A/CS) were summarized. The results obtained between patients who lost considerable weight and those who did not were compared, using a two-tailed t-test or a Kruskal-Wallis test. Patients with weight loss were additionally asked open-ended questions on burden and concerns. Results: 35 (37%) patients were classified as having considerable weight loss at the time of the survey and 60 (63%) where classified without. Most patients...