EN
The aim of the study was assessment of the prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract.Material and methods. The study was conducted between February and April of 2005 in 37 centers. Assessment of nutritional status was made according to a Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and a Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) questionnaire.Results. Nutritional status was evaluated in 2553 patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal tract (64.9%), respiratory tract (29.8%) and other cancer (5.2%). Hypoalbuminemia was found in 37.3% of patients. In 22% of patients, the body mass index (BMI) was below normal. According to the SGA scale, nutritional status was A in 51.1% of patients, B in 39.3%, and C in 9.7%. Nutritional status in patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal tract was A in 48.0%, B in 40.8%, and C in 11.2%. Nutritional status in patients with cancer of the respiratory tract was A in 55.4%, B in 37.4%, and C in 7.2%. Malnutrition was not found in 64.2% of patients with large bowel cancer but, in contrast, was found in 70.7% of patients with cancer of the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. There were differences depending on kind of hospitalization: planned (A - 53.1%, B - 38.3%, C - 8.6%) or emergency (A - 27.4%, B - 46.3%, C - 26.2%). In 31.7% of cases, divergence between the SGA and PG-SGA scale was noted. Mostly, the divergence consisted in underestimation of malnutrition. According to the PG-SGA scale, nutritional treatment is indicated in 75.5% of patients; according to SGA scale, only in 49.0%.Conclusions. 1. According to SGA scale, malnutrition was diagnosed in 49.0% of patients hospitalized because of cancer, in 52% of patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal tract and 44.6% with cancer of the respiratory tract. 2. According to the PG-SGA scale, there is a need for nutritional treatment in 75.5% of patients hospitalized because of cancer of the gastrointestinal or respiratory tract. 3. Use of the scored PG-SGA allows for identification of malnourished patients in whom, according to SGA, malnutrition is not diagnosed.