Nutritional Status in Locally Advanced or Metastatic Solid Cancer Patients in Spain: the NutriOncoSearch (NOS) Study

Malnutrition is a common medical problem in oncology patients. It is well known that the presence of malnutrition negatively affects patients' evolution and their quality of life, increasing the incidence of infection, hospital stay, and mortality. The new knowledge of cancer biology has made it possible to know the mechanisms of cancer progression. New treatments have been developed thanks to this knowledge including molecular target treatments aimed at these cancer mechanics and to reverse the antitumor capacity of the immune system. However, these treatments have different toxicities than classic and anachronistic treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, including alterations in glucose metabolism, endocrinopathies, rhabdomyolysis, etc. that can alter both the patient's nutritional status and quality of life. Additionally, a deficient nutritional status can have an impact on the intestinal microbiota, compromising the efficacy of the new antitumor treatments. The principal objective of this study is to characterize the nutritional status of the cancer outpatient receiving immunotherapy through a screening performed in Hospital consultations in Spain. Secondary Endpoints are (a). To describe the percentage of patients that receive nutritional counseling or nutritional support (enteral and/or parenteral nutrition) among those diagnosed as malnourished or at risk. And (b) to categorize the percentage and descriptive characteristics of cancer patients with mild, moderate, or severe malnutrition that goes to a hospital consultation in Spain and describe the percentage and descriptive characteristics of patients with malnutrition according to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.