title: Nutritional assessment in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Protein-calorie malnutrition that occurs in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus presents defined implications in surgical results. The present study aims to establish a nutritional score for malnutrition to measure the prevalence of protein-calorie malnutrition and to determine parameters with higher discriminatory power for protein-calorie malnutrition diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five (45) patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (cases) and 90 surgical patients (controls) were analyzed using twelve parameters: percentage of body weight loss, triceps and subscapular skin fold, mid arm circumference and arm muscle circumference, serum total proteins, albumin, transferin, pre-albumin, hematocrit, total lymphocyte count and late hypersensitivity skin tests. Prognostic Nutritional Index was calculated for all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05) regarding all evaluated parameters except late hypersensitivity skin tests. Patients were classified as malnourished when presented with six or more altered parameters. Through the proposed score, the prevalence of protein-calorie malnutrition was defined in cases (57.8%) and in controls (7.8%) groups with statistic significant difference (p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed score allowed the diagnosis of malnourished patients, defined the malnutrition prevalence in both groups and established parameters with a greater discriminatory power for the protein-calorie malnutrition diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Medical Post-Graduate Course, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Clinicas Hospital of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. richard@portoweb.com.br
authors.forename: Richard R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Gurski
authors.forename: Carlos C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Schirmer
authors.forename: André R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Loreno
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brentano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D012016:Reference Values