203 Background: Malnutrition is very common in patients receiving radiation therapy. This can result in significant weight loss, decreased functioning, depression, increased mortality, and dramatic declines in quality of life during and after treatment. Targeting patients at risk with nutritional counseling and progressive intervention can have important clinical implications. Methods: A total of 106 patients at a hospital-based cancer center getting radiation for a wide spectrum of cancers (breast, lung, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and other types) were evaluated for individualized nutritional counseling and education. Patients with identified risk factors were deemed to be at high risk by nursing staff if meeting pre-specified criteria for weight loss ( > 2.5%), body mass index < 18.5%, and/or gastrointestinal symptoms (poor appetite, diarrhea, or constipation affecting quality of life). After high risk patients were identified by a nursing staff triage questionnaire, an automatic computer generated referral was made to the nutritionist. Results: Prior to the institution of this protocol, 13.7% of patients getting radiation therapy were noted to be at high risk and not receiving any nutritional intervention during their course of radiotherapy. However, after the initiation of adequate screening by nursing staff triggering a nutrition referral, the percentage of high risk patients without an associated nutrition consult declined to 1.1%. Conclusions: This study conveys important information for having a systemic screening process in place to identify those at risk for progressive malnutrition while getting radiotherapy for a broad spectrum of tumor types.
Outcomes of Preoperative Weight Loss in High-Risk Patients Undergoing Gastric Bypass Surgery
