Estimation of the risk for nutritional state degradation in patients with cancer: development of a screening tool based on results from a cross-sectional survey.
BACKGROUND
In routine practice, the evaluation of the nutritional status of patients with cancer is not always performed although there is frequent modification as disease progresses. The validated screening and evaluation tools currently available are time-consuming and costly. In this study we analysed factors that could be used to identify patients likely to need nutritional surveillance or intervention.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was carried out for 2 weeks in June 2006 on 477 patients with cancer.


RESULTS
30.2% of the patients had lost more than 10% of their body weight since the start of the illness. After adjustment, the factors significantly associated with weight loss were: depressive state (OR = 3.49; P = 0.002), digestive or ENT tumours (OR = 3.20; P = <0.001), chemotherapy (OR = 2.66; P = 0.011), male gender (OR = 2.30; P = 0.001) and professional status (OR = 2.08; P = 0.02). Using a logistic model, we calculated the risk of weight loss as a function of the presence of the identified predictive factors.


CONCLUSIONS
We report a simple screening tool, which will not replace the available evaluation methods but will enable targeting of the patients most likely, after a specific evaluation, to benefit from nutritional intervention. This remains to be validated in further prospective studies.
Nourissat
A
A
Institut de Cancérologie de la Loire, Saint Etienne, France. alice.nourissat@icloire.fr
Mille
D
D
Delaroche
G
G
Jacquin
J P
JP
Vergnon
J M
JM
Fournel
P
P
Seffert
P
P
Porcheron
J
J
Michaud
P
P
Merrouche
Y
Y
Chauvin
F
F
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D018529:Nutritional Support / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D012372:ROC Curve; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019282:Wasting Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015431:Weight Loss