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Background: Malnutrition and cachexia were a frequent problem in lung cancer and increases the risks of morbidity and mortality in these patients. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is easy, non-invasive and reproducible method that can be performed., Aim: Evaluate nutritional status in patients with primary lung cancer by Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), BIA and anthropometric values (weight, arm and calf circumferences) and correlate the nutritional parameters to severity of cancer and histopathology., Methods: The nutritional status of 73 cases of primary lung cancer was evaluated by anthropometric parameters, MNA test and impedencemetrie Results: According to body mass index (BMI), malnutrition, overweight and obesity were noted in 34,2%, 13,7% and 5,5%. According to BMI, free-fat mass index (FFMI) and fat mass index (FMI), the investigations occurred malnutrition and depletion of muscle in respectively 19,2% and 23,3% of cases. Fat depletion was noted in 21,9%. Overweight and obesity were detected in 6,8% and 5,5% of cases. Assessment by MNA, revealed that 28,7% of patients were already malnourished and 49,3% of patients were at risk of malnutrition. A significant correlation existed between the score of MNA and arm and calf circumferences, FFMI and FMI. FMI was significantly lower in group of patients with small lung carcinoma., Conclusion: Only FFMI allows early detection of malnutrition in cancer patients overestimated by measuring BMI and arm circumference was the better indicator of depletion of muscle.

Malnutrition increases the risks of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. It is characterized by changes in cellular membrane integrity and alterations in fluid balance, both of which can be detected by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). We investigated whether BIA-mesured variables could detect malnutrition, as defined by body mass index (BMI) and anthropometric indices, in 83 Tunisian cancer patients (18 men and 65 women) hospitalized in surgery. The investigations occurred within the first 24 hours following hospital admission. Analysis revealed that 4.8 % of the patients were at risk for malnutrition according to body mass index. By impedancemetry, 26.5 % of all patients had free-fat mass index (FFMI) below the normal range and 15.6 % had a low fat mass index (FMI) despite a normal or relatively high BMI. While males lose their fatty reserves early, females tend to lose free-fat, muscular mass regardless of their BMI. The BMI can be misleading in an overweight or obese patient and conceal losses in muscular mass in patients exposed to latent malnutrition. The FFMI and FMI appear to be better indicators of the nutritional status than the BMI.