Background: Malnourished patients are less likely to tolerate surgical procedures and tend to have more serious postoperative complications.

Objective: The present study is to determine the association between preoperative nutritional status and surgical outcome in digestive system cancer patients.

Materials and Methods: Retrospective cohort of digestive system cancer patients had undergone surgery between December 2018 and July 2019 in Ramathibodi Hospital and Buriram Hospital. The patients were classified into three groups according to Nutrition Alert Form (NAF): NAF A, NAF B, and NAF C. Postoperative complications were recorded.

Results: 126 patients were classified to NAF A 68 patients, NAF B 45 patients, and NAF C 13 patients. According to Clavien-Dindo system, postoperative complications were classified to grade I 6 patients (NAF A=4, NAF B=0, NAF C=2), grade II 26 patients (NAF A=10, NAF B=13, NAF C=3), grade IIIa 4 patients (NAF A=2, NAF B=2, NAF C=0), grade IIIb 5 patients (NAF A=2, NAF B=3, NAF C=0), grade IVa no patients (NAF A=0, NAF B=0, NAF C=0), grade IVb 1 patient (NAF A=1, NAF B=0, NAF C=0), and grade V 1 patient (NAF A=0, NAF B=0, NAF C=1). There are no significant difference between re-admission rate and ICU stay (p=0.18, p=0.195, respectively). The length of hospital stay in patients who were classified into NAF C is longer than the other groups.

Conclusion: There is no statistically significant difference between preoperative nutritional status classified by NAF and surgical outcomes in digestive system cancer patients.

Keywords: Nutrition alert form; Malnutrition; Digestive system cancer; Postoperative complication