title: Nutritional status of cancer patients admitted for chemotherapy at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malnutrition is common among cancer patients. This study aimed to determine the overall prevalence of malnutrition among patients undergoing chemotherapy and to determine the predictors of malnutrition among cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted on 88 cancer patients admitted for chemotherapy at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippines, from October to November 2009. Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), anthropometric data and demographic variables were obtained. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and logistic regression analysis were performed between the outcome and variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 88 cancer patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 55.7 +/- 14.8 years. The mean duration of illness was 9.7 +/- 8.7 months and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 22.9 kg/m2. The mean Karnofsky performance status was 79.3. 29.55 percent of the patients had breast cancer as the aetiology of their illness. 38 patients (43.2 percent) had SGA B and four (4.5 percent) had SGA C, giving a total malnutrition prevalence of 47.7 percent. The patients were statistically different with regard to their cancer stage (p is less than 0.001), weight (p is 0.01), BMI (p is 0.004), haemoglobin level (p is 0.001) and performance status by Karnofsky score (p is less than 0.001), as evaluated by ANOVA. Logistic regression analysis showed that cancer stage and Karnofsky performance score were predictors of malnutrition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About 47.7 percent of cancer patients suffer from malnutrition, as classified by SGA. Only cancer stage and Karnofsky performance status scoring were predictive of malnutrition in this select group of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Quezon City 1101, Philippines. joeygreen10@yahoo.com
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Montoya
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Domingo
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Berroya
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Catli
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ginete
authors.forename: O S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Juat
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Tiangco
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Jamias
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents