Nutritional assessment for patients with lung cancer

Method: Lung cancer is commonly associated with malnutrition. This leads to a worse prognosis as well as more complications of the disease Tools and Methods: Prospective study about patients treated with lung cancer from July to September 2019 in the pulmonary department of Hedi Chaker of Sfax. Malnutrition is defined when Body Mass Index (BMI) 10%. We uses two scores: the MNA (Mini Nutritional Assessment) as well as the PG-SGA (Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment) Method: We included 30 patients, mean age was 58 years. Twenty seven patients were active smokers with intoxication of 54 pack year. The adenocarcinoma was most frequent (13 patients), the squamous cell carcinoma (7 patients) and small cell carcinoma (5 patients). Two third of the population were in stage IV. Twenty three cases received chemotherapy based on platinum salt and another molecule (third generation). The diet is composed of 3 meals in 23 cases, it lasts about 15 to 30 minutes in 23 cases also. Eight patients do not eat a snack between meals. The causes of diet problems were: dysphagia (5 cases), changes in taste (18 cases), nausea and vomiting (11 cases), loss of appetite (17 cases), mucositis (10 cases), depression (7 cases). The mal nutrition was noted in 13 patients, it was severe in 8 cases. The MNA was normal in 4 cases, risk of malnutrition in 14 cases and poor nutritional status in 12 cases. According to PG-SGA 26 patients require serious intervention to improve the nutritional status. Malnutrition was more common in active smokers (p=0,005) and at stage IV of the disease. Conclusion: Nutritional assessment should be establishd for all patients with lung cancer for better prognosis and less complications.