title: Immediate preoperative nutritional status of patients with colorectal cancer: a warning.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Weight loss and malnutrition are disorders observed in colorectal cancer patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to evaluate the immediate preoperative nutritional status of patients with colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional clinical study conducted at a single center. Sixty-six consecutive patients in preoperative for elective surgical treatment were studied. The clinical history, socio-demographic data and nutritional status of the patients were evaluated using Subjective Global Assessment and objective (anthropometry) methods. The primary outcome measures were nutritional status classification as nourished or malnourished and the relationship between nutritional status and socio-demographic and clinical features.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of patients exhibited left colon tumors and disease stage II. According to the Subjective Global Assessment, 36.4% of patients were malnourished. Malnutrition ranged from 7.6% to 53% depending on the evaluation method used, with poor correlation to Subjective Global Assessment. The prevalence of malnutrition was significantly greater in females and non-married patients and in those with two or more symptoms of colorectal cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than a third of patients in the immediate preoperative period for colorectal cancer exhibited malnutrition. Therefore, routine nutritional assessment is highly advisable so that appropriate measures may be taken to minimize the potential postoperative complications.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrição, Hospital Felicio Rocho, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luiza Regina L S
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia Colorretal, Hospital Felicio Rocho, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lacerda-Filho
authors.affiliation: Universidade Vale do Rio Verde - UNINCOR, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Livia Cristina L S
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D057234:Preoperative Period; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors