RTSRS is a safe and feasible procedure that may facilitate mesorectal excision. Randomized clinical trials and longer follow-up are needed to evaluate a possible influence of RTSRS on patient survival.

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PurposeThere is little information about the nutritional status of cancer outpatients because the practice of nutritional screening is rarely performed. This study aims to define the pattern of scores of nutritional risk in 1,453 outpatients and factors associated with a high nutrition risk score, to facilitate the identification of such patients by the oncologists.MethodsWe prospectively screened the nutritional status of cancer outpatients according to the NRS-2002 score which combines indicators of malnutrition and of severity of the disease (1–3 points, respectively). A score ≥3 indicates “nutritional risk”. The association of the nutritional scores with some patient/tumour/therapy-related variables was investigated through univariable and multivariable linear regression models.ResultsThirty-two percent of outpatients were at nutritional risk. Primary tumour site, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score and presence of anorexia or fatigue were significantly associated with the nutrition risk score. Depending on the combination of these variables, it was possible to estimate different probabilities of nutritional risk.ConclusionsThe frequency of a relevant nutritional risk was higher than expected considering the favourably selected population. The nutritional risk was associated with common clinical variables which are usually recorded in the charts and could easily alert the oncologist on the need of a further nutritional assessment or a nutritional support.

Early resumption of oral intake is feasible and safe in gynecologic oncology patients undergoing intestinal resection as part of a planned surgical procedure. Moreover, significant reduction in length of hospital stay was demonstrated.

Laparoscopic and robotic surgeries for colorectal cancer present both the same advantages in comparison to open procedures in terms of faster recovery. However, our data do not seem to support the routine use of RCO as a cost-effective procedure.