To evaluate the nutritional recovery status and influencing factors of patients with primary liver cancer (PLC) after discharge.

70 PLC patients who were treated and discharged from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from July 1, 2019 to January 31, 2021 were recruited in this study. The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the local ethical committee approval was received. Among them, 60 patients were male and 10 female, aged 28-78 years with a median age of 55 years. 70 PLC patients were investigated by Baseline Data Questionnaire and Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) on the day of discharge (T1), 3 (T2) and 6 months (T3) after discharge, respectively. The nutritional status at three time points was compared by repeated measures analysis of variance. The influencing factors of nutritional status were identified by univariate analysis of variance and multiple stepwise linear regression analysis.

The average nutritional status scores of PLC patients at T1, T2 and T3 were 9.3±1.8, 10.2±2.0 and 11.2±2.2, and significant differences were observed (F=23.891, P<0.05). At three time points, the incidence of malnutrition was 17%(12/70), 6%(4/70) and 4%(3/70), and the incidence of nutritional risk was 73%(51/70), 67%(47/70) and 49%(34/70), respectively. Regression analysis showed that body mass index (BMI), prealbumin, ascites and treatment pattern were the independent influencing factors of nutritional status at T1 (t=3.968, 2.721, -2.224, 2.653; P<0.05). BMI, total bilirubin (TB) and treatment pattern were the independent influencing factors of nutritional status at T2 (t=4.890, 2.814, -5.346; P<0.05). BMI and treatment pattern were the independent influencing factors of nutritional status at T3 (t=4.698, -5.052; P<0.05).

The nutritional status of PLC patients is gradually improved after discharge, whereas the incidence of nutritional risk and malnutrition remains high. For patients with decreased BMI, decreased serum prealbumin, increased TB, ascites and those undergoing liver cancer resection, nutritional interventions should be delivered during hospital stay and at home, aiming to enhance nutritional status and reduce the incidence of nutritional risk and malnutrition.