OBJECTIVES: Nutritional status of a patient suffering from lung cancer affects the outcome of disease and could have a negative effect on quality of life (QoL). The aim of our study is to assess nutritional status of these patients and the factors influencing their eating habits.

METHODS: Our quantitative, cross-sectional study was carried out in the Pulmonology Institute of Veszprém County, Farkasgyepű, Hungary. Characteristics of selected patients through non-probability, targeted sampling: treated in the facility between 2017.05.01-2017.09.01, aged >18 years, orientated in space and time, diagnosed with lung cancer, receive chemotherapy, able to communicate verbally, agreed to participate in the study, do not receive psychiatric treatment (N=100). Excluding criteria: surgical treatment or presence of an acute inflammatory disease. Our study was carried out with a self-made questionnaire, document analysis and standard assessing scales (MNA, MNA SF, NRS 2002, MUST). Besides descriptive statistics we calculated χtest and correlation with SPSS 22.0 (p<0.05).

RESULTS: Mean age is 69 ±7.23 years (min=55, max=92). According to BMI categories, 70% of respondents are „normal”, 22% are „overweight”, 5% are „obese”, 3% are „underweight”. According to MNA results, 34% are „normal”, 44% are „endangered”, 22% are „malnourished”. When looked at MNA-SF results, we saw that 42% of the sample is „normal”, 37% is „endangered”, 21% is „malnourished”. There is a correlation between BMI and MNA results (r=0.556, p<0.05). Connection between smoking habits and nutritional status is not found (p=0.606). Presence of lung cancer with COPD shows a correlation with malnutrition (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Assessing nutritional status in health care facilities is essential, alongside with a continuous follow-up, nutritional counselling and making a personal nutrition plan to patients.