The Swedish version of the patient-generated subjective global assessment of nutritional status: gastrointestinal vs urological cancers.

PURPOSE: To translate and evaluate the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) a method for the assessment of nutritional status.

METHOD: Eighty-seven patients with gastrointestinal and urological tumours completed four sections and the remaining sections were independently completed by a doctor and a dietician. Patients were classified as SGA A (well nourished), SGA B (moderately/suspected of being malnourished) or SGA C (severely malnourished).

RESULTS

Interobserver agreement was complete in 90% of the cases. More patients with gastrointestinal cancers than with urological cancers were classified as SGA B and C. Mean levels of S-albumin and P-prealbumin differed between the SGA-classes. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed independent contributions to the overall classification by weight loss in the last 6 months, level of food intake, problems with eating, physical activity and muscle wastage. Survival was significantly higher in SGA A than in SGA B+C, P < 0.001.

CONCLUSION

The PG-SGA is useful for the assessment of nutritional status. Patients had no problems in answering the questions. The PG-SGA also carried prognostic information.