BACKGROUND: Malnutrition in cancer patients may be associated with poor tolerance of chemotherapy and lower response rate after oncological treatment. METHODS: Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS) adapted for oncological patients was used to assess the risk of undernutrition in a group of 188 patients with lung cancer. The risk was evaluated on a 6-point scale according to common signs of nutritional status (weight loss, body mass index, and dietary intake), tumor, and its treatment risk factors. A score of 3 or more (called "nutritional risk") means significant risk of malnutrition and poor outcome. RESULTS: Acceptable NRS score was found in 50.6%, and in 45.3% a score of 3-5 suggested the risk of malnutrition (nutritional risk). Unexpectedly, the toxicity of anticancer treatment was not significantly different between the subgroups (acceptable score vs nutritional risk). The rate of treatment response evaluated by imaging techniques was significantly higher in patients with an acceptable score compared to nutritional risk. Overall survival rate was significantly higher in cytostatically treated patients with lung cancer with an acceptable score. CONCLUSION: Nutritional risk screening is a significant predictor of tumor response in patients with lung cancer. Early detection of malnutrition is important to determine the prognosis of cancer patients as well as to plan effective supportive care.

Department of Respiratory Diseases and TB University Hospital Brno CZECH REPUBLIC

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