Determination of nutritional status with different screening tests in oncology patients receiving radiotherapy

The treatments besides the disease can lead to malnutrition in cancer patients. The development of nutritional disorder is closely related to the individual's response to the treatment, quality of life and survival. The aim of this study is to assess the nutritional status of patients and compare the screening tests, using Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002) and Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) tests on oncology patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT). Study was a cross-sectional and descriptive study, conducted on 110 volunteered adults (32 men, 29.1% and 78 women, 70,9%), aged 20-64 years who applied to International Medicana Ankara Hospital Radiation Oncology Department for radiotherapy treatment. During the study, some demographic characteristics and nutritional status and habits of the individuals were questioned in addition to this, NRS-2002 and MUST screening tests were applied, anthropometric measurements were taken, and some biochemical findings were examined. Mean age was 50.8±11.9 for men and 45.8±10.5 for women (p=0.034, p<0.05). Of the men, 37.5% was diagnosed with brain, 28.1% with lung, 18.8% with head neck throat, of the women 62.8% with breast, 11.5% with brain, 7.7% with lung cancer (p=0.000, p<0.05). Mean daily energy intake was 1698±169.7 kcal for men and 1472.8±166.8 kcal for women. Energy from carbohydrates, protein and fat were 40.1%, 17.0% and 42.8%, respectively. Daily intakes of energy, fiber, vitamin D, thiamin, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc were below the recommendations. Total NRS-2002 score of 1, 2 ve 3+ were 28.1%, 18.8% and 53.1% for men, 69.2%, 10.3% and 20.5% for women, respectively. Inadequate nutritional status (NRS: 3+) was found 18.2% in the first RT and 30.0% in the last RT. NRS score 2 was determined as 5.5% in the first and 12.7% in the last RT. Mean NRS-2002 scores in the first and last RTs were 1.4±0.8 and 1.7±0.9 (p=0.000, p<0.05), respectively (men: 1.8±1.0 and 2.3±0.9, p=0.001, p<0.05; women: 1.3±0.7 and 1.5±0.8, p=0.001, p<0.05). According to MUST, low, moderate and high nutritional risks were found as 79.1%, 15.5% and 5.5% for the first RT and 71.8%, 18.2% and 10.0% for the last RT (p=0.050, p<0.05). Mean MUST sores were 0.3±0.6 for the first and 0.4±0.7 for the last RT (p=0.001, p<0.05). Malnutrition screening tool should be implemented to individuals during the treatment and nutrition support treatment should be planned and implemented if necessary.