Impact of nutritional status on postoperative outcomes for patients with colorectal cancer

Abstract

To evaluate the impact of nutritional status on postoperative outcomes for patients with colorectal cancer. Data of 289 colorectal cancer patients from the Affiliated Hospital of Putian Medical College between January 2006 and December 2009 were collected prospectively. Nutritional status was evaluated according to Reilly Nutrition Risk Score(Reilly NRS) and Nutrition Risk Screening 2002(NRS-2002). The postoperative mortality was 3.5%(10/289) and the complication rate was 29.4%(82/297). Patients were stratified into those at nutrition risk(n=89) and those not at risk(n=200) according to Reilly NRS and the two groups were similar in mortality rate(5.6% vs. 2.5%, P>0.05) and complication rate(36.1% vs. 26.5%, P>0.05). When stratified using NRS-2002, patients at nutritional risk(n=105) had a similar mortality rate (5.7% vs. 2.2%, P>0.05) but a higher complication rate(38.4% vs. 24.4%, P<0.05). NRS-2002 remained as an significant predictor of postoperative complications(P=0.007, OR=3.14, 95% CI:1.63-6.29) on multivariable logistic regression analysis. As a nutritional evaluation tool, NRS-2002 may predict postoperative complication for colorectal cancer.