Exploring the Association Between Weight Loss and Clinical Outcomes in Outpatients with Pancreatic Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Retrospective Cohort Pilot Study

Worsening nutritional status in patients with pancreatic cancer may be associated with poorer tolerance to chemotherapy and increased complications. This retrospective cohort pilot study, conducted between October 2023 and March 2024, aimed to evaluate the association between nutritional status, weight loss, and clinical outcomes that included hospitalization, neutropenia, chemotherapy delay, and worsening laboratory changes. Patients were categorized into two groups: those with weight loss >5% of usual body weight and those with ≤5%. Of the 21 participants, 8 were male and 13 were female. Weight loss >5% was significantly associated with more patients requiring hospitalizations compared to weight loss ≤5% [6 (75%) vs. 3 (23.1%), p = 0.02], while no statistically significant differences were observed for other clinical outcomes. Risk factors associated with greater weight loss included age >72 years (crude odds ratio [COR] 9.17; 95% CI 1.15–73.24; p = 0.037), treatment with a paclitaxel plus gemcitabine regimen (COR 12.00; 95% CI 1.02–141.34; p = 0.048), and a history of hospitalization (COR 10.00; 95% CI 1.28–78.12; p = 0.028). Weight loss in pancreatic cancer is linked to poorer clinical outcomes, with older age, certain chemotherapy regimens, and hospitalization identified as risk factors. Early dietary counseling by registered dietitians may help mitigate this risk.