Factors related to malnutrition in patients with esophageal cancer.

Based on data indicating that decreases in body weight (BW), arm muscle circumference (AMC), and rapid-turnover proteins (RTPs) correlate with fatal septic complications after surgery for esophageal cancer, we examined possible factors contributing to protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) in patients with this disease. Eight parameters of nutritional status were assessed. Associations between sex, age, stage of cancer, and degree of dysphagia and PCM were analyzed via multiple linear regression for 75 patients with esophageal cancer and 58 with gastric cancer. These four factors independently contributed to PCM in patients with esophageal cancer, whereas malignant tumor and age contributed to PCM in those with gastric cancer. The degree of dysphagia was related to decreases in serum albumin and RTP and weakly related to decreases in BW and AMC. Stage of cancer, age, and sex were associated with reductions in albumin and/or RTP. Thus, we conclude that simple starvation, malignant tumor, age, and sex contribute to PCM and probably to the occurrence of fatal septic complications postoperatively.