Assessing Nutritional Status in Gastric Cancer Patients after Total versus Subtotal Gastrectomy: Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a significant global health concern, ranking as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Malnutrition is common in GC patients and can negatively impact prognosis and quality of life. Understanding nutritional issues and their management is crucial for improving patient outcomes. This cross-sectional study included 51 GC patients who underwent curative surgery, either total or subtotal gastrectomy. Various nutritional assessments were conducted, including anthropometric measurements, laboratory tests, and scoring systems such as Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group/World Health Organization Performance Status (ECOG/WHO PS), Observer-Reported Dysphagia (ORD), Nutritional Risk Screening-2002 (NRS-2002), Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), and Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ). Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels were significantly higher in the subtotal gastrectomy group. Nutritional assessments indicated a higher risk of malnutrition in patients who underwent total gastrectomy, as evidenced by higher scores on ORD, NRS-2002, and PG-SGA. While total gastrectomy was associated with a higher risk of malnutrition, no single nutritional parameter emerged as a strong predictor of surgical approach. PG-SGA predominantly identified malnutrition, with its occurrence linked to demographic factors such as female gender and age exceeding 65 years.