Table 1.
Patient characteristics, tumour location, and carnitine level
| Variable | All patients (n = 114) |
|---|---|
| Sex | |
| Male | 74 (64.9%) |
| Female | 40 (33.1%) |
| Age, years | 68.4 ± 10.5 |
| Albumin g/dL | 4 (2.4–5.0) |
| BMI (kg/m2), mean ± SD | 22.3 ± 3.3 |
| SMI (cm2/m2), mean ± SD | 41.4 ± 7.6 |
| PNI, mean ± SD | 47.3 ± 6.2 |
| Tumour location | |
| Oesophagus | 17 (14.9%) |
| Stomach | 16 (14.0%) |
| Pancreas | 20 (17.5%) |
| Bile duct | 9 (7.9%) |
| Primary liver cancer | 18 (15.8%) |
| Liver metastasis | 15 (13.2%) |
| Colorectal cancer | 19 (16.7%) |
| Carnitine levels | |
| Total carnitine | 60.4 (25.5–102.5) |
| Free carnitine | 50.4 (20.6–93.5) |
| Acylcarnitine | 9.8 (3.9–24.5) |
BMI, body mass index; SMI, skeletal muscle index; PNI, prognostic nutritional index.