Nutritional Risk in Patients with Cancer in the Gastrointestinal Tract treated at a University Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer is considered a global public health problem. Objective: To evaluate the nutritional risk in patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) treated at a University Hospital. Method: Observational, longitudinal, prospective, analytical-descriptive study, involving patients with a confirmed diagnosis of GI cancer, of both sexes, candidates for GI oncological surgeries, treated at a University Hospital in Belém-Pa, in the period of March 2019. 2020 to October 2021. The Patient Self-Provided Subjective Global Assessment (ASGPPP) nutritional screening was used for collection, which was applied within 72 hours of patient admission. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee under opinion 4,540,906. For data tabulation, Microsoft Excel® version 2016 was used. Results: 82 patients, the majority, 51.2% (n=42) male. In this population, 59.8% (n=49) had the disease located in the stomach, 31.8% (n=26) in the colon and rectum, 6% (n=5) in the esophagus and 2.4% (n= 2) in the pancreas. Most, 75.6% (n=62) attended with some degree of malnutrition. Conclusion: Ensuring adequate nutritional status through early nutritional assessment is essential in order to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition and improve the quality of life of cancer patients.