Clinical Value of Bioimpedance during Long-Term Cancer Therapy

This case report describes the use of bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) to monitor changes in hydration status and cellular function in a 73-year-old male patient with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing a 12-week immunotherapy course. The parameters monitored were phase angle (PA), impedance ratio (IR), and cell membrane capacitance (Cm).

At week 1, the patient weighed 72.6 kg and with a PA of 4.2 degrees, an IR of 0.85 (no unit), and a Cm of 1.21 nanofarad (nF), all outside reference ranges. Throughout treatment, biompedance parameters were measured weekly. By week 12, body-weight had increased to 75.3 kg, PA to 4.8 degrees, IR to 0.82, and Cm to 2.01 nF, within or close to the mean ± SD ranges seen in healthy controls.

BIS can non-invasively provide measurements of changes in hydration status and cellular function on a routine basis in the clinical setting. Continuous monitoring of these parameters may be useful as an adjunct to assess response to immunotherapy treatment of cancer patients. However, to assess the full clinical potential of these parameters in patients with NSCLC and generally, in patients with cancer, a study with a larger number of participants is required.