Effect of Prudent Diet on Nutritional Status, Quality of Life and Sarcopenia in Postoperative Gastric Adenocarcinoma Individuals

The growth of abnormal cells which is uncontrolled in the stomach region is termed gastric cancer. Nine out of ten occurrences of gastric cancer are adenocarcinomas, which are the most frequent kind. Worldwide gastric cancer mortality is in the 3rd number due to its aggressiveness, and spread and is under the higher incidence of sarcopenia and malnutrition. The insufficiency of protein and calorie intake leads to poor nutritional status and muscle loss among postoperative gastric cancer patients. Therefore, adequate nutritional counseling and dietary support should help in achieving appropriate nutritional goals after surgery. Owing to the anti-inflammatory and preventive components, the prudent diet is a good dietary pattern for people with stomach cancer. The focus includes vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, and dairy products that are low in fat, and omega-3 fats. This study focuses on evaluating the effect of a prudent diet on sarcopenia, nutritional status, and the quality of life amongst postoperative individuals with gastric adenocarcinoma.  An experimental study will be conducted. Single-blind Randomized Control Trial (SBRCT) design will be used A total of 120 postoperative gastric cancer patients (45-60 years) will be selected from the hospitals in Delhi. The participants will be randomly allocated by an Excel random number table into 2 experimental groups and a control group. The baseline data on knowledge regarding nutrition in gastric cancer will be collected via a quantitative questionnaire. The pre-intervention screening will be done on sarcopenia (SARC-F), anthropometry, and, biomarkers of the participants will be assessed using the CONUT Score, Hemoglobin, and Iron Profile. Imaging test reports (PET-CT) shall be included to check for any reoccurrence during the study. Dietary intake will be assessed through a 3-day diet recall and dietary diversity. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire on gastric cancer (STO22-QoL) will be used to collect data on the “Quality of Life” of postoperative gastric adenocarcinoma patients.  There will be 2 experimental groups where one will be exposed to a prudent diet (Group 1) and another will be exposed to intensive nutrition education and a prudent diet (Group 2). The control will be exposed to basic nutrition education and a diet plan as per hospital authority during the study.  The data will be collected and analyzed using SPSS version 29. The data will be compared with the data at baseline to check the significant difference after imparting nutrition education and diet in the control and experimental groups concerning knowledge, improvement in sarcopenia, anthropometry, biomarkers, 3-day diet recall, dietary diversity, and quality of life.

Keywords: Partial Gastrectomy, Nutritional Counseling, Nutritional Assessment, Nutritional Biomarkers, Dietary Intake