Cancer-related malnutrition is a significant supportive care need in the cancer population, requiring timely screening, assessment and invention to improve patient outcome. A study of the prevalence of malnutrition in adults with cancer was conducted across Victorian health services in 2012 & repeated in 2014.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of malnutrition for patients with lung cancer in Victorian cancer services.

Methods: Selected Victorian hospitals participated in a prospective point prevalence study of adult cancer patients in March 2012 and May 2014. The Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) and Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) were used to determine the risk and presence of malnutrition, respectively.

Results: A total of 3660 patients have participated in the two studies. Similar patient numbers by treatment modality and tumour type are represented in both studies, with 10% of the total patients having a primary lung cancer.

The overall malnutrition prevalence was 31% in 2012 and has reduced to 27% in 2014. No significant change has been seen in the rate of malnutrition for patients with lung cancer 37% (2012) and 33% (2014). Lung cancer represents the fourth highest number of patients with malnutrition by tumour stream

Results from 2012 show patients with lung cancer are more likely to be older and have more advanced disease. They are less likely to receive treatment with a curative intent: 44% compared with 63% for the total study group.

Results from both studies will be used to explore demographic and clinical variables of patients with lung cancer to determine associations with malnutrition.