[The nutritional status and immunological situation of cancer patients]

A study was performed on the nutritional state of a sample of 138 patients with digestive and extradigestive neoplasias. The study protocol was based on anthropometric, analytical and immunological tests. The main criteria for malnutrition were as follows: loss of 10% or more in normal weight and/or albumen levels of less than 3.5 gr/dl. A global malnutrition percentage of 56.5% was obtained. The highest malnutrition percentages were found among patients with neoplasia of the oesophagus (78.9%) and the lowest in neoplasias of the breast (9.1%). From the nutritional standpoint, neoplasias of the rectum showed an extradigestive behaviour, with a low malnutrition percentage (40%) compared to digestive tumors. The global malnutrition level for the sample studied was 56.6%. The muscular compartment was the most affected in cases of malnutrition. In the PCHR results, no evidence of the effect of the nutritional state on the alteration of these was recorded (Chi 2 = 6.42, p = 0.207).