PG-SGA in patients with advanced cancer in palliative care

What is it about?

We evaluate the prognostic significance of the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) in 120 patients with advanced cancer admitted to the Palliative Care Unit at the National Cancer Institute in Brazil. According to the PG-SGA almost all patients were malnourished. PG-SGA evaluated that xerostomia was the only symptom associated with a short survival. Survival was found to be significantly higher in well-nourished than malnourished. Total PG-SGA score and poor Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) were independent prognostic survival factors.

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Why is it important?

We demonstrates that malnutrition as determined by PG-SGA was associated with increased mortality and total score provides prognostic significance in patients with advanced cancer in palliative care. The PG-SGA was able to detect elements which are important contributors to the nutritional burden of advanced cancer patients and it may become a useful tool for nutritional evaluation. Health care groups can also start considering its use as a routine in aiming to attest nutrition diagnosis parameters in cancer palliative care. In addition, anticipation of nutritional needs as well as prevention and effective management of symptoms should also be discussed. Reassessment should be continuous until death, with maintenance or modification of nutritional assessment guided by life expectancy.