The prevalence of cancer is increasingly high and it has a significant impact on patient quality of life. Patients with cancer of any type are at increased risk of malnutrition. Some 15–40% of patients with cancer have some degree of malnutrition at diagnosis. This condition worsens as the disease progresses, with 80% of patients in advanced stages becoming malnourished.1 The risk of malnutrition has also been shown to be high in patients with head and neck, gastrointestinal or lung tumours.2, 3, 4, 5

These patients can require multiple hospital admissions depending on the treatment administered, disease progression and treatment complications. Admission is an added risk factor for malnutrition due to the metabolic stress it causes as well as the associated decrease in intake.6, 7

Compared to patients with better nutritional status, malnutrition in cancer patients in general has been associated with a multitude of adverse consequences, including: more complications8; more frequent hospital admissions and longer stays9, 10; poorer tolerance of aggressive treatments11; and lower survival rates.11, 12 Early diagnosis and treatment of poor nutritional status can have a positive influence on the course of the disease. Identifying patients at risk and starting nutritional support can achieve nutritional goals, and has been associated with lowering both the rate of complications and the mean length of hospital stay.9, 13

Weight loss is the most widely used indicator in detecting malnutrition in patients with cancer. However, simply identifying weight loss may not prompt measures that help prevent malnutrition. Screening strategies have been recommended for some years now to both detect malnutrition risk and start treatment early in order to prevent nutritional deterioration in these patients.14

With this in mind, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of nutritional status and nutritional support on hospitalized cancer patients. Our objectives were to assess nutritional status in patients on oncology wards in a tertiary level hospital, and compare the incidence of complications based on the nutritional diagnosis made with different tools.