title: Diagnostic work-up for the detection of malnutrition in hospitalized cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malnutrition is a common complication in patients suffering from cancer. It is associated with a poor prognosis, reduced quality of life, increased chemotherapy-induced toxicity, and a decreased response to therapy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and compare the use of various diagnostic tests for the detection of malnutrition in patients hospitalized for cancer treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this single-center, non-interventional reliability study, the nutritional status of 50 patients with cancer was assessed using the Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002), a bioimpedance analysis (BIA), and the measurement of laboratory parameters that reflect the serum visceral protein level. For statistical analysis, the comparison of means and the agreement of the methods were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NRS-2002, BIA, and lab parameters differed widely among patients classified as well-nourished or malnourished (10%- 80%, depending on the method). Significant results in the comparison of means were observed for body mass index, serum protein, and some BIA parameters. The analysis of agreement identified a compelling agreement for pre-albumin and retinol-binding protein (RBP) (kappa = 0.81).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Small sample size, heterogeneous group of patients, non-interventional reliability study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tested diagnostic methods for detecting malnutrition did not have an evident agreement among each other with a limited exchangeability. In routine hospital practice several methods should be applied in order to identify cancer patients at risk of malnutrition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany. camilla.leithold@uk-halle.de.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leithold
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Martha-Maria, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Behlendorf
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schaffrath
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Müller-Tidow
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rüssel
keywords: Bioimpedance; Nutritional Risk Screening; cancer; malnutrition screening tool; serum protein