Nutritional status in advanced upper gastrointestinal cancer

Fifty-four patients with advanced upper gastrointestinal cancer were assessed for their nutritional status prior to any form of therapy. Anthropometric parameters--weight loss, arm muscle circumference, skin-fold thickness--and biochemical parameters--serum albumin and delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to purified protein derivative (PPD) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA)--were used for nutritional assessment. Using standard values for comparison, about 80% of all patients were found to be nutritionally depleted. Immunocompetence did not show significant correlation with other nutritional parameters.