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Nutritional and clinical characteristics of patients with gastrointestinal tract (GI) cancers at presentation

Weight loss is a predictor of poorer outcome in patients with cancer. Patients with cancers of the GI have been reported to present with the greatest amounts of weight loss but the associations between weight loss and site of primary and stage of disease are poorly described and the relationship between metastatic disease and weight loss is unknown. These data are important in planning nutritional interventions in this patient group. The aims of the present study were to: (1) define the nutritional status of patients presenting with GI cancers; (2) explore the associations between nutritional status and clinical characteristics. All new patients with GI cancers referred for consideration of chemotherapy were included in the current study. Height and weight in indoor clothing, without shoes was measured. Patients were asked to recall their usual weight. Clinical and demographic information was obtained from electronic records. The tumour stage from computerised tomography scan or pathology specimen was recorded according to the tumour, node, metastases system. ANOVA was used to examine relationships between weight loss and each variable. A general linear model was applied to allow the influence of factors to be considered together. In total 1415 patients were recruited (838 males and 577 females; mean age 67.1 (SD 12.3) years). The mean percentage weight loss at presentation was 7.2 (SD 8.41). Patients presented with tumours of the oesophagus and stomach (n 342), pancreas (n 177), lower GI (n 792), liver and biliary (n 42), unknown primary (n 34) and other (n 27). The findings for the three main tumour sites are presented.