Purpose: Malnutrition severely impacts tolerance to anticancer therapies, but any relationship with overall survival (OS) at the time of solid tumour diagnosis in outpatients in the USA remains unclear.
Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 3562 patients who completed the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) at diagnosis, identifying the relationship between MST risk, a validated tool evaluating anorexia and weight loss, and OS. MST score of ≥2 of 5 was classified as high malnutrition risk (H-MST). Kaplan-Meier techniques and Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyse OS in H-MST versus low malnutrition risk (L-MST).
Results: In the unadjusted models, MST risk was individually associated with OS. Multivariable regression confirmed that MST risk remained independently prognostic for OS after controlling for key confounding variables, HR=1.51 (95% CI: 1.33 to 1.72). The H-MST group had shorter OS (50-month survival rates: 69% L-MST vs 60% H-MST).
Conclusion: MST risk at diagnosis is an independent prognostic factor for OS. H-MST risk is associated with shorter survival in a broad cohort of solid tumour oncology outpatients.
Keywords: Cancer; Supportive care; Survivorship.
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