Background: Malnutrition is frequent among patients with digestive cancer and may adversely affect postoperative outcomes. However, data from sub-Saharan African surgical settings remain limited. This study aimed to assess preoperative nutritional impairment and its association with postoperative outcomes among patients undergoing surgery for digestive cancer at Yaoundé Central Hospital.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analytical observational study at Yaoundé Central Hospital, Cameroon, from January 2023 to December 2024. Adult patients who underwent surgery for histologically confirmed digestive cancer and had available preoperative anthropometric and serum albumin data were included. Nutritional impairment was assessed using available phenotypic criteria, including body mass index and weight loss. Serum albumin was analyzed as a biological marker of severity and perioperative risk. Postoperative outcomes included morbidity, surgical site infection, length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality.

Results: A total of 64 patients were included. The mean age was 56.4 ± 12.3 years, and 38 patients (59.4%) were female. The most common tumor locations were the colon (34.4%), pancreas (29.7%) and rectum (15.6%). Mean preoperative body mass index was 20.38 ± 3.03 kg/m², and 62 patients (96.9%) had weight loss of at least 10%. Preoperative hypoalbuminemia was found in 34 patients (53.1%). Postoperative morbidity occurred in 28 patients (43.7%) and was more frequent among patients with malnutrition/hypoalbuminemia than among those without: 58.8% versus 26.6% (odds ratio: 3.93; 95% confidence interval: 1.36–11.33; p=0.01). These patients also had longer hospital stay and higher in-hospital mortality.

Conclusion: Preoperative nutritional impairment and hypoalbuminemia were frequent and associated with poorer postoperative outcomes. Systematic nutritional assessment and perioperative nutritional support should be integrated into digestive cancer surgery in this setting.