Patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA) as a nutrition assessment tool in patients with cancer

Abstract

: The consequences of malnutrition in Cancer patient, include an increased risk of complications, a lower quality of life, reduced survival and higher health-care costs. The Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) is used internationally as the reference method for screening, monitoring and triaging for interventions in patients with cancer The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the scored PG-SGA as a nutrition assessment tool in hospital patients with cancerA prospective 15 week study assessing the nutritional status and QoL(Quality of life) of ambulatory patients receiving chemotherapy, radiation therapy, medications/supplements therapy were analyzed and used to predict the magnitude of QoL in a private hospital in Bengaluru. The total sample number was around 50.Statistical Analyses were performed, using SPSS software. : The result based on total PG-SGA Score, shows, 14% required no intervention, 32% required patient and family education, 24% required intervention by dietitian and doctor and 20% required critical care management. Overall, there was no significant difference in intervention required when classified according to BMI groups (p >0.05).Surprisingly similar percentage of participants in both Group 1 and Group 2 required critical care management since most of them in both the groups were facing different eating problems. : This concludes that the PG-SGA showed high sensitivity and good specificity in predicting malnutrition among cancer patients but it can be improved   further by taking up a larger sample of patients or increasing the number of sample size so that the data are made accurate.