Preoperative nutritional assessment by using subjective and objective criteria and its implication in the outcome of cancer patients undergoing abdomino-pelvic surgeries

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines “nutritional status” as the condition of the body resulting from the intake, absorption, and utilization of nutrients and the influence of particular physiological and pathological status.[1] Globally, malnutrition affects a significant proportion of individuals, with prevalence rates ranging from 30% to 85%, particularly prevalent among patients with gastric, pancreatic, lung, prostate, and colon cancers.[2] In cancer patients, malnutrition is associated with decreased treatment tolerance, increased postoperative morbidity and mortality, and diminished quality of life [3]
The evaluation of nutritional status in cancer patients commonly relies on subjective methods such as the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA)[4] and objective measures like anthropometry and biochemical parameters[5]. Despite their widespread use, no single method is universally accepted as the "gold standard," each possessing its’ inherent limitations.