Personalized Cancer Management with our seca mBCA

On the other hand, an unclear weight loss serves as an important symptom, which may occur before a proper diagnosis. In addition, many patients develop malnutrition, sarcopenia or tumor cachexia because of the disease, or as side effects of therapy. This unclear weight loss can have a negative effect on the overall therapy and prognosis, and can increase mortality or reduce a patient's quality of life to a great extent.

Due to insufficient energy and nutrient uptake, malnutrition leads to loss of weight, muscle and fat tissue. Sarcopenia, on the other hand, is an age-dependent, excessive loss of muscle mass and strength, which is not necessarily associated with weight loss. This way, a patient may develop sarcopenic obesity, where their muscle mass decreases, while their fat tissue notably increases. In contrast to malnutrition and sarcopenia, cachexia develops mainly in the context of chronic or tumorous diseases. In addition to weight loss, combined with excessive catabolization of fat and muscle mass, cachexia is accompanied by acute or chronic inflammation.

Due to the different pathomechanisms, therapeutic approaches and courses, the distinction between these three conditions plays an important role. Malnutrition and sarcopenia are completely or partially reversible, if they are diagnosed early and treated accordingly. The aforementioned conditions illustrate the relevance of the nutritional condition and the body composition for oncological patients. Until now, computer and magnetic resonance tomography were considered the gold standard for the evaluation of a patient's body composition. Our seca mBCA offers an alternative to these expensive and complex procedures, with its bioimpedance analysis (BIA). Clinical trials compared the seca mBCA with the respective standards, validating its use in research or in general clinical settings. In just a few seconds, the seca mBCA non-invasively measures individual body compartments and easily detects minor changes in a patient's body composition. In addition, it provides accurate information on the hydration state and the localization of fat and muscle mass in a patient's body.

In the future, the close control of a patient's body composition and their dietary condition will gain further importance in the field of oncology. Within the scope of personalized cancer management, a patient's cancer therapy can be adapted based on their current constitution, thus increasing the treatment's effectiveness and reducing the occurrence of side effects. With our seca mBCA, a BIA device is already available, which meets all these requirements and can effectively help improve the treatment, prognosis and quality of life of oncologic patients.