Anorexia in oesophageal carcinoma.
The influence of anorexia on nutritional status and tumour resectability was prospectively assessed in 50 patients with oesophageal carcinoma and severe dysphagia. Among the 21 patients in whom anorexia was present, objective measurement of clinical status demonstrated that malnutrition was present in 13 (62%) and resection of the tumour was possible only in five (24%). On the contrary, among the 29 patients without anorexia, malnutrition was only present in five (17%) and resection of the tumour was possible in 24 (82%). We conclude that anorexia is a main determinant of malnutrition and that it is related to the tumour development independently of dysphagia. In patients with oesophageal carcinoma, the clinical assessment of anorexia must be used for evaluating nutritional status before surgery. The presence of anorexia suggests a widespread tumour or a disseminated cancer and it might explain the poor nutritional effects of palliative intubation in non resectable tumour.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000855:Anorexia / Q000150:complications*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies