Associations between nutritional factors and chemotherapy toxicity in older adults with solid tumors

Background Nutritional status can directly affect morbidity and mortality in older adults with cancer. This study evaluated the association between pretreatment body mass index (BMI), albumin level, and unintentional weight loss (UWL) in the prior 6 months and chemotherapy toxicity among older adults with solid tumors. Methods This was a secondary analysis of a prospective, multicenter study involving chemotherapy‐treated patients 65 years old or older. Geriatric assessment, BMI, albumin level, and UWL data were collected before treatment. Multivariable logistic regression models evaluated the associations between nutritional factors and the risk of grade 3 or higher (grade 3+) chemotherapy toxicity. Results Seven hundred fifty patients with a median age of 72 years (range, 65‐94 years) and mostly stage IV disease were enrolled. The median pretreatment BMI and albumin values were 26 kg/m 2 (range, 15.1‐52.1 kg/m