Comprehensive assessment of nutritional status and nutritional-related complications in newly diagnosed esophageal cancer patients: A cross-sectional study

• Published in: Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 4449 - 4455
• Main Authors: Movahed, Sara, Varshoee Tabrizi, Fatemeh, Pahlavani, Naseh, Seilanian Toussi, Mehdi, Motlagh, Ali, Eslami, Saeid, Ghayour-Mobarhan, Majid, Nematy, Mohsen, Ferns, Gordon A., Emadzadeh, Maryam, Khadem-Rezaiyan, Majid, Alavi, Amir Hossein, Salek, Mahtab, Zabeti, Pegah, Norouzy, Abdolreza
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2021
• Subjects: administrative management; age; anorexia; body composition; clinical examination; clinical nutrition; constipation; cross-sectional studies; dysphagia; energy; Esophageal cancer; esophageal neoplasms; females; food intake; gastrointestinal neoplasms; indigestion; Iran; laboratory experimentation; males; Malnutrition; muscle tissues; Nutritional assessment; nutritional intervention; Nutritional status; pain; patients; PG-SGA; prevalence; protein intake; screening; underweight; weight loss; Iran; Nutritional assessment; Malnutrition; PG-SGA; Esophageal cancer; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0261-5614; 1532-1983; 1532-1983
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.01.003

Malnutrition is prevalent in upper gastrointestinal cancer patients. The purpose of this study was a comprehensive assessment of nutritional status in newly diagnosed patients with esophageal cancer. Newly diagnosed esophageal cancer patients were referred to a chemo-radiation referral center in Mashhad, Iran, between February 2017 to February 2019. Anthropometric indices, a Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) tool, body composition, dietary intake, nutritional-related complications, and laboratory tests were assessed. One hundred and eighty-nine patients with a mean age of 67.1 ± 12 and a male to female ratio of 98 to 91 were included. Ninety-seven (51.3%) of patients had experienced significant weight loss and 56 (29.6%) were underweight at diagnosis. According to PG-SGA, 179 (94.7%) needed nutritional interventions. Reduced muscle mass and low handgrip strength were observed in 70 (39.4%) and 26 (14.4%) of patients, respectively. Inadequate intakes of energy (less than 24 kcal/kg/day) and protein (less than 1.2 g/kg/day) were found in 146 (77.8%) and 171 (91%) patients, respectively. The mean total daily energy and protein intakes of subjects were 943.8 ± 540 kcal/day, and 30.6 ± 21 g/day, respectively. The most common nutritional-related complications were as follows: dysphagia (84.8%), anorexia (31.6%), constipation (62.1%), esophageal pain (48.4%), and dyspepsia (41.1%). Our study demonstrated a high prevalence of malnutrition in newly diagnosed esophageal cancer patients. This fact demonstrates the importance of early screening of nutritional status via PG-SGA tool, clinical evaluation, dietary intake evaluations, and laboratory tests, based on which effective nutritional interventions and Symptoms management may be introduced in these patients.