Malnutrition assessed by the mini nutritional assessment is associated with overall survival in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition is common in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing surgery and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and prognostic value of malnutrition using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) screening tool for patient survival.

METHODS

A total of 98 NSCLC patients (62.2% male, median age 67 years, range: 41-84) who underwent pulmonary resection between 2012 and 2019 were evaluated for nutritional status using MNA and BMI. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models. Post-surgery complications were segmented according to MNA status.

FINDINGS: According to MNA, 66.3% of patients were well-nourished (MNA ≥ 24), 31.6% were at risk of malnutrition (MNA 17-23.5), and 2% were malnourished (MNA < 17). In patients at risk of malnutrition, 1-year OS was 67.86%, and 5-year OS was 7.14%. In contrast, well-nourished patients showed a 1-year OS of 73.77%, and a 5-year OS of 26.22%. Cox regression analysis showed that MNA was significantly associated with overall survival (HR = 0.214, 95% CI 0.060-0.765, p = 0.018).

CONCLUSION

Nearly one-third of NSCLC patients were at risk of malnutrition and had a significantly worse survival outcome. MNA was independently associated with overall survival, emphasizing the importance of nutritional screening in this high-risk group.