Evaluating the prognostic implications for patients of the Controlling Nutritional Status score, including the risk of post-operative complications

The goal of this study--funded under RWJF's research program, Health Data for Action, which makes valuable data from unique data owners available to researchers to answer important research questions--is to inform evidence-based guidelines and practice to prevent and/or manage immediate and long-term effects of cystectomy surgery in bladder-cancer patients. Using Geisinger data, the study seeks to review the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) scoring system to evaluate patient-specific risk factors that can be incorporated into clinical practice for pre-operative risk assessment and decision-making when radical cystectomy is being considered for treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Specifically, the study will: (1) investigate the prognostic value of the CONUT score in development of perioperative/postoperative complications and mortality, including in-hospital and 30- to 90-day mortality and cancer-specific and all-cause mortality, and (2) model the accuracy of tools for both nutritional-risk prognostication for short- and long-term prognoses and for the rate of perioperative complications. Tools will include CONUT, the prognostic nutrition index, Nutrition Risk Index, albumin, and BMI. Deliverables will include a project workplan and final narrative report. The researchers will also produce a paper or papers suitable for publication and present findings at national research meetings and to other stakeholder audiences, as appropriate, including policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels, as part of the deliverables for this project.