[Nutritional status assessment of patients with oral maxillofacial cancers].

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study is to evaluate the nutritional status of patients with oral maxillofacial cancer.

METHODS

The nutritional status was evaluated using seven easily determined variables and multi-factor nutritional index in 50 hospitalized patients with oral maxillofacial cancer from 1990 to 1992.

RESULTS

Fifty-six percent of patients had protein-energy malnutrition. The high incidence of protein-energy malnutrition was found in those patients without adequate dietary intake.

CONCLUSION

Patients with oral maxillofacial cancer usually have protein-energy malnutrition. The reason is that the patients always have an inadequate dietary intake.