Effect of Preoperative Nutritional Status on Clinical Outcome After Surgery for Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

This study aimed to determine whether preoperative nutritional status affects surgical outcomes in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. This cross-sectional study included 80 patients scheduled for non-small cell lung cancer surgery. Patients with protein-energy malnutrition were identified using recent weight loss, serum albumin levels, and total lymphocyte count. Recovery time, complication rates, and overall survival were evaluated as surgical outcomes using logistic regression, Cox proportional hazards models, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. We found that preoperative nutritional status was a substantial predictor of surgical outcomes. Well-nourished patients had 2.5 times lower surgical success rates and considerably lower incidences of adverse events than those who were severely malnourished. Additionally, malnutrition was correlated with prolonged hospital stays and recovery periods. Kaplan–Meier analysis of survival shows that well-nourished patients had a considerably longer survival period. The independent predictive power of nutritional status over postoperative outcomes was validated using multivariate analysis, highlighting the importance of implementing focused nutritional interventions. We demonstrated the importance of preoperative nutritional evaluations and interventions in enhancing survival, reducing complications, and improving surgical success rates among patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Incorporating nutritional support into preoperative care protocols substantially affected the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing non-small cell lung cancer surgery.