Nutritional Status Assessment in the Elderly Suffering From Cancer : a National Cross-UCOG Survey

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is a frequent condition in patients suffering from cancer, especially the elderly. According to some studies, this malnutrition has important consequences in this population, by increasing the risk of treatment toxicities, premature interruption of chemotherapy, mortality and risks of complications. Identifying cases of malnutrition is an objective pursued by the National Nutrition and Health Programme and an important task of the "Unités de Coordination en Oncogériatrie". The main goal of this study is to assess the loss of weight over the 6 month-period preceding the cancer treatment, regardless of kind (chemotherapy, targeted therapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, comfort care), in the elderly suffering from cancer.