Early Satiety in Individuals With Cancer: A Scoping Review of an Orphan Symptom.
WHY IT MATTERS
Early satiety causes cancer patients to eat less and lose weight, which can weaken their ability to fight cancer and recover from treatment—but doctors rarely screen for or address this specific symptom.
Researchers reviewed 78 studies about early satiety (feeling full quickly after eating small amounts) in cancer patients. They found this symptom is common but often overlooked, and doctors don't have consistent ways to measure or describe it. The review shows there are big gaps in how we understand and treat this problem for cancer patients.
Early Satiety in Individuals With Cancer: A Scoping Review of an Orphan Symptom. Abstract: A common, underrecognized symptom in cancer is early satiety (ES), which is classified as an orphan symptom. No systematic or scoping review focusing on ES has been published previously. This scoping review aimed to detail the available evidence and knowledge gaps surrounding ES in individuals with cancer. Five databases (Cochrane, EBSCOhost, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science) were searched from inception until August 9, 2023. Inclusion criteria were original data on ES in cancer, human studies, peer-reviewed, and full text in English. Extracted data included characteristics, tools used, and results on ES. Seventy-eight reports were included. All but 1 was quantitative. A quarter used validated tools to screen for ES. Where a description of ES was given (n = 40), 20 were unique. Median pr Authors: O'Donoghue et al. Journal: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics MeSH: Humans, Neoplasms, Quality of Life, Cachexia, Malnutrition, Female, Male, Prevalence, Satiation, Rare Diseases
ASK YOUR DOCTOR
If you're a cancer patient experiencing difficulty eating normal portions, ask your oncology team or dietitian specifically about early satiety and whether it's affecting your nutrition during treatment.