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Abstract
Malnutrition among colorectal cancer patients can impair quality of life and decrease survival. This study evaluated the nutritional status of colorectal cancer patients and its association with quality of life among Filipino colorectal cancer patients seen in a tertiary hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted among colorectal cancer patients seen at the Philippine General Hospital between December 1, 2019 and February 28, 2020. Nutritional status was evaluated using the Subjective Global Assessment, while quality of life was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and logistic regression were employed for analysis. Among 292 patients, malnutrition was noted in 76.4%. Stage III cancer had a higher odds for malnutrition (OR (odds ratio) = 6.22, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.59, 24.42). Patients who received or were currently receiving chemotherapy were less likely to develop malnutrition (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.18–0.69). Global health status and all functional subscale scores for the severely malnourished group were lower while the scores for symptom scales increased with the degree of malnutrition. There was a high prevalence of malnutrition among colorectal cancer patients and this was associated with poor quality of life. Future directions emphasizing early nutritional screening and assessment are recommended.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Joanna Yasay, Regine del Rosario and to the PGH Dietary Section for their valuable help on this project.
Disclosure Statement
The authors declare that they do not have any conflict of interest.
Compliance with Ethical Standards
The study was conducted in accordance with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki regarding biomedical research, the Philippine National Ethical Guidelines for Health Research 2011, and the International Ethical Guidelines for Epidemiological Studies 2008. The study was conducted only upon approval by the University of the Philippines-Manila Research Ethics Board (UPMREB).