282P - Nutritional status and nutritional therapy of common cancer in a cancer hospital of Southwest China

Background

To investigate the nutritional status of hospitalized patients with common malignant tumors in a cancer hospital of Southwest China.

Methods

We enrolled 891 patients with cancer hospitalized for treatment in Chongqing University Cancer Hospital. These patients were diagnosed with common types of malignant tumors. Patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA), anthropometric measurements, and laboratory examination were used to evaluate the nutritional risk or nutritional status. Cancer pain status was assessed with the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). We also investigated the nutritional therapy of these cancer patients.

Results

According to the PG-SGA score, 48.7% (434/891) of the cancer patients were severely malnourished (PG-SGA≥9), 31.2% (312/891) were moderately malnourished (8≥PG-SGA≥4), 14.7% (131/891) were mildly malnourished (PG-SGA 2∼3), and only 5.4% (48/891) patients had no malnutrition (PG-SGA 0∼1). The rate of malnutrition for gastrointestinal cancer patients is higher than non-gastrointestinal cancer patients (67.3% vs. 44.6%, χ2=31.48, P <0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis, PG-SGA scores and body mass index (P<0.001), serum total protein(P<0.001), hemoglobin serum (P<0.001), albumin (P<0.001), prealbumin (P<0.001), calf circumference (left side, P=0.001) were correlated. Age (≥65 years), albumin(<40g/L), prealbumin (<150mg/L) and cancer pain (NRS≥4) are the risk factors of severe malnutrition. However, only 26.8% (200/746) of all the moderately and severely malnourished patients received nutritional therapy.

Conclusions

94.6% of the common malignant tumor patients enrolled in the present study were malnourished. PG-SGA is an effective tool to assess malnutrition in cancer patients, it is recommended to conduct routine assessment of cancer patients at the beginning of admission. Nutritional therapy of malignant tumor patients with malnutrition is very low. We suggest patients with malignant tumors are assessed after admission by nutritional risk screening, and comprehensive nutritional evaluation, including PG-SGA score, and to give the right nutritional therapy.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.