The Effects of Chemotherapy on Physical and Psychological Side Effects and Adipokines in Gastric Cancer Patients

In South Korea, many gastric cancer patients undergo a combination of surgery and chemotherapy for cancer treatment, which has been reported to cause significant physical and psychological side effects. This study aims to analyze the physical and psychological side effects during the chemotherapy process in gastric cancer patients and examine the changes in adipokines to provide foundational data for exercise prescriptions tailored to gastric cancer patients. The study found no significant differences in body composition before and after adjuvant chemotherapy. Regarding changes in depression and stress, a significant difference was observed in depression. However, there were no significant changes in adipokines before and after adjuvant chemotherapy. The study highlights a significant increase in depression scores, emphasizing the importance of proper management of depressive symptoms during cancer treatment. Further research is required with a larger sample size, considering living environments and nutritional status.