Investigation of Nutritional Status by GLIM Criteria in Outpatients with GIST.

Abstract

Nutritional management has proven to be significant in the treatment of cancer. Nonetheless, studies have rarely conducted on outpatients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) currently. Data of outpatients with GIST at our hospital from June 1, 2020, to August 1, 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool was used to screen outpatients with GIST for malnutrition risk, and malnutrition was identified using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. We hypothesized that malnutrition is associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with GIST. This study included a total of 173 outpatients with GIST (82 males [47.4%] and 91 females [52.6%]; average age: 58.96 ± 10.53 years). Nutritional risk distribution was low in 60.12% (n = 104) of patients, moderate in 21.39% (n = 37), and high in 18.50% (n = 32). Malnutrition was diagnosed in 27.75% (n = 48) of patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that reduced food intake and low hemoglobin level were significant factors associated with malnutrition. Importantly, GLIM-defined malnutrition significantly affected progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.702, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.384-9.902, p = 0.005). Outpatients with GIST exhibit a high risk of malnutrition, and nutritional management may improve their prognosis. The GLIM criteria are effective for assessing malnutrition and predicting clinical outcomes in outpatients with GIST.