A Prospective Pilot Study of Body Composition in Gastric and Oesophageal Cancer

Throughout the treatments for stomach and oesophageal cancers, patients can undergo a combination of surgery, radiation therapy,and chemotherapy, either pre and/or post-operatively. Weight loss is common when undergoing any cancer treatment and while previously it was thought that it was mostly a loss of fat, newer information suggests that people with cancer lose muscle and fatty tissue.

Body composition refers to the amount of muscle, fat, fluid and other tissues you have in your body. This study aims to determine those with stomach and oesophageal cancers' body composition before, during and after treatment, and what changes occur over time.

Aim:

• To characterize body composition in patients with stomach and oesophageal cancers, and its impact on treatment delivery and survival.

• To compare body composition at multiple time points from diagnosis and throughout treatment.