Impact of malnutrition on cancer recurrence, colorectal cancer-specific death, and non-colorectal cancer-related death in patients with colorectal cancer who underwent curative surgery.

Aim: This study aimed to examine how malnutrition, as reflected by the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), is associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence and cause of death.

Methods: Consecutive stage I-III CRC patients (n = 601) were divided into two groups using GNRI 98 as the cutoff. The relationship of GNRI with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) was evaluated, followed by competing risk analysis to determine prognostic factors of non-CRC-related death, and hazard function analysis to examine changes in the risk of recurrence and death.

Results: Median body mass index was lower in the low GNRI group than in the high GNRI group (19.8 vs. 23.5; p < 0.001). After adjusting for known prognostic factors, a low GNRI was independently associated with reduced OS/RFS, and was a significant predictor of non-CRC-related death. The risk of recurrence was higher and peaked earlier in the low GNRI group than in the high GNRI group, although after 3 years, both groups had a similar risk. Meanwhile, the low GNRI group had a higher risk of non-CRC-related death over the course of 5 years.

Conclusion: It is important to consider preoperative nutritional status along with the cancer stage when developing strategies to improve outcomes for CRC patients.