Association of nutritional and inflammatory status with patient self-reported symptoms in oesophageal cancer patients: A multicentre cross-sectional study

Abstract

Purpose

Nutritional and inflammatory status is heterogeneous among oesophageal cancer patients and affects the recovery of patients' postoperative symptoms. We conducted this study to identify classes of nutritional and inflammatory status in oesophageal cancer patients, providing a basis for precise interventions to improve long-term prognosis and survival.

Methods

Patients' preoperative nutritional and inflammatory status was obtained based on haematological tests. Self-reported symptoms were measured using the Recovery Symptom Assessment Scale for Patients Undergoing Oesophageal Cancer Resection. Latent class analysis analyses were used to identify heterogeneity in inflammation and nutrition in oesophageal cancer patients. Analysis of variance was used to test for differences in symptoms among patients with different inflammatory and nutritional status.

Results

The Latent class analysis identifies three classes of body composition: "Low Inflammation-Good nutrition Group", "High Inflammation-Good nutrition Group " and "High Inflammation-Poor nutrition Group". Analysis of variance showed that the recovery of early postoperative symptoms and early recovery symptoms differed between the classes of oesophageal cancer patients.

Conclusions

Different classes of preoperative nutritional and inflammatory status exist in oesophageal cancer patients, and there are differences between early recovery symptoms and psychosocial symptoms between these classes. Therefore, early assessment of the class of body composition in patients with oesophageal cancer is essential to improve their symptoms. Scientific and effective symptomatic interventions should be further explored in the future to improve the long-term prognosis of oesophageal cancer patients.