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Background/objectives The assessment of nutritional status and the quality of life in patients with gastric cancer has become one of the important goals of current clinical treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the nutritional status in hospitalized gastric cancer patients by using patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA) and to analyze the influence of nutritional status on the patients’ quality of life (QOL). Methods We reviewed the pathological diagnosis of gastric cancer for 2322 hospitalized patients using PG-SGA to assess their nutritional status and collected data on clinical symptoms, the anthropometric parameters (height, weight, body mass index (BMI), mid-arm circumference (MAC), triceps skin-fold thickness (TSF), and hand-grip strength (HGS). We also collected laboratory data (prealbumin, albumin, hemoglobin) within 48 h after the patient was admitted to the hospital. The 30-item European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) was used for QOL assessment in all patients. Results By using PG-SGA, we found 80.4% of the patients were malnourished (score ≥ 4) and 45.1% of the patients required urgent nutritional support (score ≥ 9). In univariate analysis, old age (> 65 years, p

The level of the systemic inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) is elevated in many patients with malignant disease and may be related to nutritional status.To analyze the association between serum CRP levels in patients with malignant tumors and their nutritional status.A total of 3,692 cases were analyzed and the serum CRP levels were determined using an immunometric assay. Nutritional status was assessed by using patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA). The biochemical evaluation of prealbumin (PA), albumin (ALB), cholesterol (CHOL), and triglycerides (TG) were assayed within 48 h admission to the hospital. The association between serum CRP concentration and the nutritional status, the stage of the tumor and other factors was analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Elevated serum CRP was observed in 47.6% (1,548/3,269) of patients compared with the reference value, and the median CRP concentration was 18.29 mg/l. Patient serum CRP concentrations in the malnourished group (PG-SGA B + C) were higher than in the well-nourished (PG-SGA A) patients (P 0.05). The serum CRP level was related to the patients' age, gender, tumor stage, and was affected by hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, diabetes, but it has no effect on hypertension. The CRP high patients had lower PA and ALB levels, lower Karnofsky performance status scores, and higher PG-SGA scores (P 0.05), and there was no relationship with CHOL and TG levels. Weight loss in the previous 1 mo was seen with CRP positive patients (P 0.05).Almost 50% of malignant tumor patients had elevated serum CRP levels indicating a systemic inflammatory state. The nutritional status was worse in cancer patients with higher concentrations of serum CRP. The level of CRP was associated with the tumor stage, and, as stage is a prognostic factor, so can CRP be used as a prognostic maker in malignant tumors patients.

We do not know the clinical and prognostic factors that influence the survival of patients with gastric signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC). Therefore, a retrospective review was undertaken of 219 patients with SRC who had undergone gastrectomy between January 2009 and December 2012 in our hospital. Patient age, sex, TNM stage, vessel carcinoma embolus, perineural invasion, tumor site and operation type, postoperative chemotherapy, and five-year overall survival were recorded and evaluated. In our study, 93 cases (42.5%) were signet ring cell carcinoma only, and 126 cases (57.5%) were signet ring cell carcinoma coexisting with other components (such as adenocarcinoma or mucus adenocarcinoma). Eighty-three patients were female, 136 were male, 46 occurred at the gastroesophageal junction (21.0%), 63 at the fundus/body (28.8%), 80 were antrum/pylorus (36.5%), and 30 were whole stomach (13.7%). The prognosis of gastric antrum/ pylorus cancer was the best (P < 0.05). There were 133 patients (60.7%) with stage III, and the single factor analysis showed that the earlier the stage, the better the prognosis. The overall five-year survival rate was 30.1% in all patients. One-hundred and 41 patients (64.4%) received D2 radical surgery, 64 (29.2%) received D1 radical operation, and 14 (6.4%) received palliative resection, and the patients who received D2 had the best overall survival (P < 0.05). The survival time of the paclitaxel-based regimen in postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy tended to be prolonged. There was no statistical difference in overall survival between the percentage of signet-ring cells and sex. In summary, age, tumor stage, and surgical resection combined with D2 lymphadenectomy were independent prognostic factors for SRC. Adjuvant chemotherapy with a paclitaxel-based regimen may improve the survival of patients with SRC.