Influence of an elevated nutrition risk score (NRS) on survival in patients following gastrectomy for gastric cancer

In the last years, the impact of weight loss in patients with malignant tumors has come more and more into the focus of clinical research, as the occurrence of weight loss is often associated with a reduced survival. Weight loss can be a hint for metastases in patients suffering from malignant tumors; furthermore, these patients are usually not able to be treated with chemotherapy. The aim of the study was to show the influence of weight loss and an elevated nutrition risk score on survival following tumor resection in patients suffering from gastric cancer. In 99 patients in whom a gastrectomy due to gastric cancer was performed, the nutrition risk score was calculated and its influence on mortality, morbidity and survival was analyzed. Of the included patients, 45 % of the patients gave a history of weight loss; they had significantly more often a NRS >= 3. In UICC stage 1a/b, a NRS >= 3 was associated with a significantly reduced survival compared to patients with a NRS < 3. In early tumor stages ( UICC 1a/b), a NRS >= 3 was associated with a significantly reduced survival, while in progressed tumor stage, the influence of a poor NRS was not significant. This seems to show that in progressed stages in patients with gastric cancer, the influence of a reduced NRS is negligible.