Body Composition in Older Adults with Cancer

A bioelectrical impedance machine will measure the fat, muscle, and water content of older adults with cancer as they undergo chemotherapy. People aged 70 and over are both the fastest-growing group of cancer patients and the most underrepresented in research. Clinicians currently lack clear evidence on how body composition—specifically the loss of muscle and fat known as cachexia and sarcopenia—changes during treatment, or whether those changes differ by tumour type. Without this knowledge, nutritional support remains generic rather than tailored. This study will track those changes alongside simple physical measures such as handgrip strength and calf circumference, then analyse the data for trends. If successful, the work will provide the descriptive foundation needed to design personalised nutritional care for older cancer patients. That could mean adjusting diet or supplements to preserve muscle mass during treatment, potentially improving tolerance to chemotherapy and quality of life. Because the study is descriptive and exploratory, it will not produce immediate clinical guidelines, but it will identify which patterns and associations warrant larger, definitive trials in a population that is routinely excluded from cancer research.