Food intake and nutritional status in patients with newly detected gastric or colorectal cancer

Abstract

The study of malnutrition and anorexia in cancer patients is hampered by a lack of practicable definitions for each entity. We therefore conceived definitions that would be practicable and would define malnourished and well-nourished cancer patients, and anorectic and non-anorectic patients. Nutritional assessment was performed using a Nutritional Index that considers serum albumin, total lymphocyte count and percentage ideal body weight. Malnutrition was considered present if nutritional index values were below the mean value of a previously investigated healthy, normal control group. Food intake was considered relative to usual food intake, while anorexia was defined to be present if actual total energy intake was 80% or less of usual intake. Employing the above definitions we prospectively studied 46 consecutive patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, admitted for surgical treatment of their malignancies. In this study malnutrition occurred as often in gastric cancer patients as in colorectal cancer patients. Anorexia occurred more frequently in gastric cancer patients than in colorectal cancer patients. The anorexia in gastric cancer appeared to be caused by many factors. Metabolic disorders seemed to play a major role in the development of malnutrition in colorectal cancer. The proposed definitions separated groups well, appeared practicable, but need further evaluation in larger patient groups. These definitions may allow further study of the pathogenesis of malnutrition in cancer patients.