Prognostic significance of perioperative nutritional parameters in patients with gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: It has been suggested that nutritional status is related to the survival outcomes of cancer patients. The purpose of the current research is to evaluate the importance of the prognosis of various nutritional parameters during the perioperative period in patients with gastric cancer.

METHODS: This study enrolled patients with gastric cancer who underwent D2 gastrectomy at the Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, in 2008. The prognostic significance of nutritional parameters was analyzed, along with other clinical and pathological variables, preoperatively and postoperatively at 3, 6, and 12 months.

RESULTS: The total number of patients was 1415. The mean values of nutritional parameters, weight, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin, total cholesterol, and total lymphocyte count (TLC) decreased significantly over time after surgery. On the contrary, albumin and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) score increased significantly during the postoperative follow-up period. Preoperatively, low BMI (<18.5 kg/m2 ) and low TLC level (<1000 per mm3 ) were revealed as independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. Low preoperative TLC level and decline in PNI (ΔPNI < -2.2) at postoperative 3 months; low preoperative TLC level and decline in TLC (ΔTLC < -279.9 per mm3 ) at postoperative 6 months; and low preoperative BMI, albumin, and TLC levels at postoperative 12 months were independent nutritional prognostic indicators.

CONCLUSION: Various perioperative nutritional parameters were confirmed as independent prognostic factors in patients with gastric cancer. Our results imply prognostic benefit from careful nutritional support for patients with poor nutritional parameters.