Comparison of Phase Angle and Various Anthropometric Parameters in Patients Diagnosed With and Without Cancer

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the phase angle (PhA) and other anthropometric values in patients with and without a cancer diagnosis.

Materials and Methods: A retrospective study in Istanbul, Turkey, included 82 patients in a hospital’s Nutrition and Dietetics Outpatient Clinic in 2023. The participants were divided into cancer and control groups. Anthropometric measurements included weight (kg), height (cm), and various body composition parameters such as body mass index (BMI) (kg/m²), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI), fat mass (FM) (kg), fat-free mass (FFM) (kg), muscle mass (MM) (kg), and total body water (TBW) (kg).

Results: Statistically significant difference was found in BMI (t = −3.293; p < 0.01), FFM (U = 502.5; p < 0.01), MM (U = 480; p < 0.001), FM (U = 573; p < 0.05), and TBW (U = 550; p < 0.01) between the groups. Also, a significant difference was found in PhA (t = −3.689; p < 0.001), SMM (U = 502.5; p < 0.01), and SMMI (t = −3.189; p < 0.01). The study revealed significant differences in FFM, MM, and TBW values based on PhA groups among patients with and without a cancer diagnosis. For cancer patients, high PhA values correlated with significantly higher mean FFM, MM, and TBW values than those with low PhA values (p < 0.05). Additionally, age was associated with decreased PhA, and SMMI was linked to increased PhA among patients with cancer (p < 0.01; p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: Our study found that certain measurements were significantly lower in cancer patients than those without cancer. These findings suggest that BIA can benefit all cancer patients, and conducting future studies on this topic will help enhance patient treatment and follow-up.