ObjectiveTo evaluate the nutritional status of elderly Chinese operative patients with lung cancer as well as its correlation with postoperative complications through the application of modified mini-nutritional assessment (MNA) and short-form MNA (MNA-SF).MethodsOne hundred and fifty elderly Chinese patients with lung cancer underwent operation were enrolled in this study from June 2010 to June 2011.Collected information including preoperative nutritional evaluation in modified MNA and MNA-SF,general information of patients,disease status,anthropometric measurements,biochemical markers,and postoperative complications.ResultsAccording to the modified cutoff point of the full MNA in the 150patients (98 males,52 females),10.7％(16/150) patients were malnourished,32.0％(48/150) patients were at risk of malnutrition and 57.3％(86/150) patients were well nourished.MNA was (23.7 ± 3.8) scores.Positive correlations were found between MNA and body mass index (BMI),mid-arm circumference(MAC)and calf circumference (CC) (P ＜ 0.01 ).MNA-SF was ( 11.5 ± 2.4) scores.Positive correlations were found between MNA-SF and BMI,triceps skinfold (TSF),MAC,CC,MNA (P＜0.01 or ＜0.05).The incidence of postoperative complications was as following sequentially: respiratory complication was 37.4％ (55/147),cardiovascular complication was 31.3％(46/147),thoracic cavity complication was 0.7％( 1/147 ).There was no significant difference among groups in different numbers of complications (P=0.590) and among groups in different types of complications (P =0.601 ).ConclusionsModified MNA is suited to elderly Chinese operative patients with lung cancer.Evaluation shows that there is high prevalence of malnutrition among this population,and the correlations between MNA results and postoperative complications should be confirmed in further study.Positive correlations were found between MNA and body mass index (BMI),mid-arm circumference(MAC)and calf circumference (CC) (P ＜ 0.01 ).MNA-SF was ( 11.5 ± 2.4) scores.Positive correlations were found between MNA-SF and BMI,triceps skinfold (TSF),MAC,CC,MNA (P＜0.01 or ＜0.05).The incidence of postoperative complications was as following sequentially: respiratory complication was 37.4％ (55/147),cardiovascular complication was 31.3％(46/147),thoracic cavity complication was 0.7％( 1/147 ).There was no significant difference among groups in different numbers of complications (P=0.590) and among groups in different types of complications (P =0.601 ).ConclusionsModified MNA is suited to elderly Chinese operative patients with lung cancer.Evaluation shows that there is high prevalence of malnutrition among this population,and the correlations between MNA results and postoperative complications should be confirmed in further study.