Bioelectrical impedance phase angle in clinical practice: implications for prognosis in stage IIIB and IV non-small cell lung cancer
2009

Bioelectrical Impedance Phase Angle in Lung Cancer

Sample size: 165 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Gupta Digant, Lammersfeld Carolyn A, Vashi Pankaj G, King Jessica, Dahlk Sadie L, Grutsch James F, Lis Christopher G

Primary Institution: Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center

Hypothesis

Can bioelectrical impedance analysis-derived phase angle predict survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer?

Conclusion

BIA-derived phase angle is an independent prognostic indicator in patients with stage IIIB and IV NSCLC, suggesting that improving nutritional status could enhance survival.

Supporting Evidence

  • Patients with a phase angle <= 5.3 had a median survival of 7.6 months.
  • Patients with a phase angle > 5.3 had a median survival of 12.4 months.
  • Every one degree increase in phase angle was associated with a relative risk of 0.79.

Takeaway

Doctors can use a special test to see how healthy the cells in cancer patients are, which can help them understand how long the patients might live.

Methodology

A retrospective chart review of 165 patients with stages IIIB and IV NSCLC, using BIA to measure phase angle and survival analysis through Kaplan Meier and Cox proportional hazard models.

Potential Biases

Potential biases due to reliance on historical data not primarily collected for research purposes.

Limitations

The study's retrospective design may limit the reliability of the data, and the BIA technique may not be universally applicable due to variability in body composition across different populations.

Participant Demographics

93 males and 72 females, median age at diagnosis was 56 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.02

Confidence Interval

95% CI: 4.7 to 9.5; 95% CI: 10.5 to 18.7

Statistical Significance

p = 0.02

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2407-9-37

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