Malnutrition Prevalence and Its Implications on Surgical and Oncological Outcomes in Advanced Ovarian Cancer Patients: A Comprehensive Analysis

Abstract

Objective: Malnutrition is a major concern in patients with advanced ovarian cancer, and this condition may be associated with poor treatment outcomes. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition in advanced ovarian cancer patients and investigate its impact on both surgical and oncological outcomes. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 290 advanced-stage ovarian cancer patients (FIGO stage III-IV) who were not diagnosed with malnutrition. The median follow-up time was 36 months. Malnutrition was defined using the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI). Retrospective data on patient characteristics, treatment complications, and outcomes were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows (Version 26.0; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: This study found that 137 of 290 patients (47.2%) had malnutrition. Anemia and chronic kidney disease (CKD) were frequently observed alongside malnutrition. Malnutrition impacts both surgical and oncological outcomes, including the rate of optimal debulking surgeries (35.8% in the malnourished group and 62.7% in the well-nourished group, p < 0.005) and the median length of hospital stay (10 days in the malnourished group and 7 days in the well-nourished group, p < 0.005). Additionally, well-nourished patients had a significant higher overall survival rate (43 months) compared to malnourished patients (30 months). Conclusion: Malnutrition is common among patients with advanced ovarian cancer and is associated with a lower rate of optimal surgery, longer hospital stays, and reduced overall survival rates.