title: Extracellular-to-body cell mass ratio and subjective global assessment in head-and-neck cancers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ratio of extracellular mass to body cell mass (ecm/bcm), determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis, has been found to be a potentially useful indicator of nutrition status. Subjective global assessment (sga) is a subjective method of evaluating nutrition status in head-and-neck cancer. The present study was conducted to investigate the association between ecm/bcm and sga in head-and-neck cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were classified as either well-nourished or malnourished by sga. Bioelectrical impedance analysis was conducted on a population of 75 patients with histologically confirmed head-and-neck cancer, and the ecm/bcm was calculated. Receiver operating characteristic curves were estimated using the nonparametric method to determine an optimal cut-off value of the ecm/bcm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with malnourished patients, those who were well-nourished had a statistically significantly lower ecm/bcm (1.11 vs. 1.28, p = 0.005). An ecm/bcm cut-off of 1.194 was 76% sensitive and 63% specific in detecting malnutrition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ecm/bcm can be an indicator that detects malnutrition in patients with head-and-neck cancer. Further observations are needed to validate the significance of the ecm/bcm and to monitor nutrition interventions.
authors: Physiology Department, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Małecka-Massalska
authors: Mathematics and Biostatistics Department, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Smoleń
authors: Otolaryngology Department, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Morshed
keywords: Head-and-neck cancer; bioelectrical impedance analysis; extracellular–to–body cell mass ratio; subjective global assessment