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B F Piper

Publications and source records attributed to B F Piper.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1986

Anorexia, serum zinc, and immunologic response in small cell lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and prophylactic cranial radiotherapy.

Anorexia is a major clinical problem for patients with certain types of cancer. The specific mechanisms that result in this spontaneous decline in food intake remain unknown. In noncancer populations, zinc has been shown to play a role in maintaining normal appetite, taste acuity, and immunocompetence. One purpose of this prospective, longitudinal study of cachexia in ten males with small cell lung carcinoma was to determine if anorexia (caloric intake), perceived taste changes, zinc intake, and impaired cellular immunity were associated with serum zinc concentrations. The average daily caloric intake declined 490 kcal from time of diagnosis to seven months after diagnosis (mean caloric intake = 72% of RDA). Daily zinc intake ranged from 6.5 to 25.4 mg over the seven months. During this period, the mean serum zinc concentrations, although low (71 micrograms/dl), remained within the normal range. The average weight declined from 81.7 to 74.1 kg. There was no identifiable pattern of perceived taste changes; most of the perceived changes were recorded during the period coinciding with prophylactic cranial radiation. At the initial testing, four of nine subjects were anergic to a battery of skin test antigens (mumps, candida, tuberculin purified protein derivative). The only subject who remained responsive to two antigens throughout the study remained alive at 12 months. Caloric intake was inadequate to maintain weight. While zinc intake was low, low normal serum zinc concentrations were maintained; thus in this sample, serum zinc does not appear to be the anorexigenic factor.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Anorexia and weight loss: indicators of cachexia in small cell lung cancer.

A study was conducted to determine the incidence and extent to which anorexia, a decrease in spontaneous food intake, contributes to the occurrence of cancer cachexia. Data for ten male subjects with small cell carcinoma of the lung are reported for a five-month period following diagnosis. Although body weights of the subjects at the time of diagnosis averaged less than 95% of the usual weight (weight 6 months prior to diagnosis), they were greater than 109% of the mean ideal weight. At five months, the mean weight (N = 8) was 88% of the preillness weight. From the time of diagnosis, there was a mean loss of 7.2 kg (15.8 lb). The urinary creatinine excretion was below the normal range, whereas the urinary urea nitrogen values were within the normal range. At the time of diagnosis, the mean triceps skin-fold measurements were approximately 80% of the standard reference for males. During the five-month period, the mean midarm muscle circumference determinations remained greater than 90% of the reference standard. The mean serum transferrin values were 10% or more below the reported lower range of normal, whereas the great majority of the serum albumin values were 3.0 g/dl or above during the five-month period. The mean caloric intake of 2,204 kcal at the time of diagnosis was only 86% of the estimated basal energy expenditure (BEE) times a factor of 1.5 used to account for moderate activity. Four months following diagnosis, the mean caloric intake had fallen to 1,702 kcal, only 67% of the BEE X 1.5 (calculated from the weight at diagnosis). The findings provide evidence of a decline in spontaneous food intake, a small decrease in body fat, and a greater than 13% weight loss. The oral intake was less than adequate for any activity beyond the basal state. Decreased intake could account for most of the weight loss observed in the subjects.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Recent advances in the management of biotherapy-related side effects: fatigue.

Limited information about fatigue patterns in patients with cancer exists in the biotherapy literature. When fatigue is mentioned, it is usually to state whether or not it was a dose-limiting side effect. No further data are provided on how fatigue was measured; which patterns were noted and when; and which relationships were found between fatigue and demographic characteristics, type of biologic response modifier, route of administration, or cumulative dose. Thus, there is little available in the biotherapy literature to guide nursing practice in managing this side effect. Theory that guides practice, however, often emanates from the personal experiences of the patients and from the clinical observations and intuitive hunches of the nurses and physicians participating in clinical trials. These individuals have been most generous in sharing their insights and unpublished data with the authors. This paper presents a comprehensive view of current knowledge on fatigue to guide present nursing practice with patients receiving biotherapy and to provide direction for future nursing and clinical trial research.

Fatigue↗