Lack of Concordance among Nutritional Diagnostic Methods in Newly Diagnosed Colorectal Cancer Patients

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the concordance of different nutritional assessment methods and the prevalence of inadequate nutritional status in newly diagnosed Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Cross sectional study was conducted in a public hospital in Alagoas, Brazil. Clinical, nutritional (patient-generated subjective global assessment [PG-SGA], body mass index [BMI], arm circumference [AC], triceps skinfold [TSF], arm muscle circumference [AMC]) and functional (handgrip strength [HGS]) data were collected from July 2017–January 2019. Of the 31 CRC patients with a mean age of 58.97 ± 14.96 years, 48.4% were elderly and 51.6% were female. TSF adequacy (80.8%) and PG-SGA (80.0%) revealed the highest prevalence of malnutrition. BMI identified the same prevalence of malnutrition and excess weight (30.0%). The concordance between PG-SGA and BMI (kappa = 0.086; p = 0.426) was slight, with fair HGS (kappa = 0.268; p = 0.124). PG-SGA and AC (kappa = 0.015; p = 0.99), TSF (kappa = 0.195; p = 0.558) and AMC adequacy (kappa = 0.142; p = 0.380) were poor. PG-SGA can diagnose malnutrition, even in those who are eutrophic/overweight, by other methods. Various methods do not show concordance with PG-SGA, confirming the need for both objective and subjective methods for better diagnosis of CRC patients.

Author Contributions

Samara Bomfim Gomes Campos: designed the study, acquired the data, analyzed and interpreted the data and wrote the manuscript.

Samara Cléssya Lucena de Azevedo: acquired the data, analyzed and interpreted the data and wrote the manuscript.

Thaynara Roberto da Silva Gomes: acquired the data, analyzed and interpreted the data and wrote the manuscript.

Nassib Bezerra Bueno: analyzed and interpreted the data and wrote the manuscript.

Marília Oliveira Fonseca Goulart: wrote the manuscript, revised critically for important intellectual content.

Fabiana Andréa Moura: supervised all the steps, designed the study, acquired the data, analyzed and interpreted the data and wrote the manuscript.

Dislcosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Home Institution/Laboratory

The present study was conducted in Laboratório de Eletroquímica e Estresse Oxidativo of Universidade Federal de Alagoas as a part of the PhD thesis in the Postgraduate Program of Ciências da Saúde (PPGCS/UFAL). Tutors: Marília Oliveira Fonseca Goulart, Fabiana Andréa Moura.

Additional information

Funding

The PhD student Samara Bomfim Gomes Campos received a fellowship from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas (FAPEAL).