Impact of nutritional status on the survival of lung cancer patients

Weight loss, disease extent, performance status and sex have emerged as prognostic factors for lung cancer. The assessment of performance status is rather subjective and crude. Parameters of nutritional status were used in this study to represent the performance status of patients. The prevalence of protein-calorie malnutrition in lung cancer patients and the impact of this on patient survival were also investigated.

Nutritional status was assessed in 150 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters measured were: weight/height ratio, percent of standard triceps skin-fold thickness, percent of standard arm muscle circumference, serum albumin, transferrin, creatinine height index and total lymphocyte count. Performance status and survival time were estimated for all patients.

The prevalence of abnormality in each nutritional parameter ranged from 15 to 31%. Most of the patients (59%) had at least one abnormal nutritional parameter. A low profile of performance status was associated with lower nutritional parameters such as triceps skin-fold thickness, percent of standard arm muscle circumference, serum albumin and creatinine height index. Patients who died within six months after diagnosis had significantly lower values of all nutritional parameters than those who survived more than six months. Patients with more abnormal parameters tended to have poorer survival rates.

Both anthropometric and biochemical nutritional parameters might be reliable indicators for the assessment of performance status and survival for patients with lung cancer.