Objective To explore the application effects of nutritional risk management in esophageal cance patients treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD, and its impact on prognosis.

Methods Sixty early esophageal cancer patients treated with ESD were randomly divided into an the observation group (n = 30) and control group (n = 30) using the random number table method. The control group were given the routine nutritional intervention, while the observation group were given the nutritional risk management. The postoperative nutritional indicators, incidence of postoperative complications, incidence of malnutrition and quality of life were compared between two groups.

Results After intervention, the BMI index, triceps skinfold thickness and plasma albumin level in the observation group were better than those in control group (P ＜ 0.05). At discharge, the nutritional risk score of the observation group was significantly lower than that of control group (P ＜ 0.05). The incidence rate of postoperative complications in the observation group was 0.00%, whhich was significantly lower than that in control group (13.33%) (P ＜ 0.05). The score of European quality of life scale for cancer patients (EORTCQLQ-C30) in the observation group was significantly higher than that in control group (P ＜ 0.05).

Conclusions The application of nutritional risk management in patients with esophageal cancer after ESD can improve their nutritional status, improve their quality of life, reduce the risk of nutrition and postoperative complications, and has positive significance for improving their prognosis.