title: Novel simple and practical nutritional screening tool for cancer inpatients: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is lack of consensus on how nutritional screening and intervention should be provided to cancer patients. Nutritional screening and support of cancer patients are not well established in the Middle East. We report our systematic and practical experience led by a qualified specialist dietician in a cancer inpatient setting, using a novel nutritional screening tool.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-seven consecutive inpatients underwent nutritional screening and categorised into three nutritional risk groups based on oral intake, gastrointestinal symptoms, body mass index (BMI) and weight loss. Nutritional support was introduced accordingly. Statistical tests used included ANOVA, Bonferroni post hoc, chi-square and log rank tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median age was 48 (19-87)years. Patients were categorised into three nutritional risk groups: 55 % low, 37 % intermediate and 8 % high. Nutritional intervention was introduced for 36 % of these patients. Individually, weight, BMI, oral intake, serum albumin on admission and weight loss significantly affected nutritional risk and nutritional intervention (all significant P values). Eighty-seven, 60 and 55 % of patients admitted for chemotherapy, febrile neutropenia and other reasons, respectively, did not require specific nutritional intervention. There was a statistically significant relationship between nutritional risk and nutritional intervention (P=0.005). Significantly more patients were alive at 3 months in low (91 %) than intermediate (75 %) than high (37 %)-risk groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About a third of cancer inpatients require nutritional intervention. The adopted nutritional risk assessment tool is simple and practical. The validity of this tool is supported by its significant relation with known individual nutritional risk factors. This should be confirmed in larger prospective study and comparing this new tool with other established ones.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, ALFAISAL University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, jmzekri@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jamal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zekri
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morganti
authors.forename: Azhar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizvi
authors.forename: Bakr Bin
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Sadiq
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aslam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D018529:Nutritional Support / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult