Correlation of nutritional parameters of gallbladder cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a highly fatal disease with poor prognosis and 5-year survival <5%. Weight loss and nutritional deterioration are associated with adverse outcomes in terms of cancer prognosis. Protein-calorie malnutrition is the single most common secondary diagnosis in a patient with cancer, and is a direct consequence of the anorexia of malignancy and altered host metabolism induced by the tumor. The present study of nutritional assessment is of particular interest for it helps in better understanding the extent of malnutrition in patients of GBC.

METHODS

A case-control study was designed comprising of 153 cases of GBC and 153 controls of gallstone disease (GSD). To assess the nutritional status of the GBC patients, anthropometric measurements such as height, weight, mid arm circumference, and skinfold thickness were recorded together with the biochemical parameters and their nutrient intake.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study showed that GBC influences the nutritional status of the patients. Forty-three percent of GBC patients were malnourished with low body mass index (BMI). A significant reduction in all the anthropometric measures was observed for GBC patients compared to those with GSD. GBC patients had significantly low hemoglobin and serum albumin levels compared to the control group. The hemoglobin levels in case and control groups were 10.87 g/dl (+/-1.81 SD) and 11.62 g/dl (+/-1.89 SD), respectively (P < 0.001). Intake of almost all the nutrients was far below the recommendations of Indian Council of Medical Research. GBC patients had anorexia and weight loss.