Research Article

Relation of Malnutrition and Nosocomical Infections in Cancer Patients in Hospital: An Observational Study

Table 1

Patients’ characteristics at hospital admission (study population, baseline).

CharacteristicsValue (n = 107)

Age (years), mean (range)66.19 (34–95)

Gender, n (%)
Male71 (66.4%)
Female36 (33.6%)

Tumor location, n (%)
Lung28 (26.1%)
Colorectal14 (13.1%)
Gastroesophageal13 (12.1%)
Head and neck9 (8.4%)
Breast9 (8.4%)
Urinary tract8 (7.5%)
Gynecologic8 (7.5%)
Sarcoma6 (5.6%)
Pancreatic-biliary6 (5.6%)
Others6 (5.6%)

Tumor stage, n (%)
Local6 (5.6%)
Locally advanced26 (24.3%)
Advanced75 (70.1%)

Performance status, n (%)
022 (20.6%)
140 (37.4%)
216 (14.9%)
319 (17.8%)
410 (9.3%)
Patients on active oncological treatment, n (%)80 (74.8%)

Oncological treatment at admission, n (%)
Chemotherapy35 (32.7%)
Immunotherapy15 (14.0%)
Chemotherapy + immunotherapy10 (9.3%)
Target therapy12 (11.2%)
Palliative care15 (14.0%)
No previous treatment12 (11.2%)
Others8 (7.5%)

Therapy lines
First-line41 (38.3%)
Second-line23 (21.5%)
Third or later lines16 (14.9%)
Patients without active oncological treatment, n (%)27 (25.2%)

Reason for hospital admission, n (%)
Cancer diagnosis or treatment21 (19.6%)
Infection or sepsis20 (18.7%)
Digestive tract symptoms (vomiting, bleeding, jaundice, intestinal obstruction…)20 (18.7%)
Pain15 (14.0%)
Dyspnea symptoms (pulmonary thromboembolism, lung cancer progression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)11 (10.3%)
Medication toxicity10 (9.3%)
Others10 (9.3%)

Tumor stages were defined as localized tumors: amall tumors which can be respected and are usually curable; locally advanced tumors: large but localized tumors and/or with regional lymph node involvement, but without distant involvement. Potentially curable and advanced tumors: metastatic tumors (distant tumor lesions). Usually not curable [28].