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Malnutrition Risk Among People Receiving Palliative Radiation Therapy at BC Cancer: A Geographical Analysis
Lindsay Van der Meer1,2, Shelby Cender2, Simran Sappal2
1Nursing and Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation Department, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC.
Summary
Malnutrition risk screening is crucial for cancer patients, with many experiencing changes over time. While distance to cancer centers didn
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Malnutrition is prevalent in cancer patients, potentially exacerbated by rural living.
- Understanding malnutrition risk dynamics is vital for supportive cancer care.
- Palliative radiation therapy patients may have unique nutritional needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize changes in malnutrition risk among cancer patients receiving palliative radiation.
- To assess the impact of rurality and geographical distance on malnutrition risk.
- To evaluate the utility of the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) in this population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of malnutrition screening data (2019-2022) from BC Cancer.
- Calculation of distance from patient residence to nearest cancer center.
- Comparison of malnutrition risk scores based on geographical location (urban vs. rural).
Main Results:
- Over 39% of patients screened were at moderate or high risk of malnutrition.
- 68% of patients with repeat screenings showed changes in malnutrition risk status.
- No significant impact of geographical distance on malnutrition risk was observed.
Conclusions:
- Repeated malnutrition risk screening is recommended in cancer care settings.
- Current data suggest geographical distance does not influence malnutrition risk in this cohort.
- Further investigation into the relationship between distance and malnutrition risk is warranted.
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