Identifying Malnutrition in Oncology Outpatients Using Different Screening Tools

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Clinical Nutrition
• Medical Screening

Background:

• Malnutrition is a significant concern for oncology outpatients.
• Effective nutritional screening is crucial for timely intervention.
• Several tools exist, but their comparative efficacy in this population requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic performance of three nutritional screening tools: NRS-2002, PG-SGA, and NUTRISCORE.
• To identify the most sensitive and practical tool for detecting malnutrition in cancer patients receiving outpatient therapy.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study was conducted with 69 oncology outpatients.
• Nutritional status was assessed using the NRS-2002, PG-SGA, and NUTRISCORE.
• Statistical analysis, including McNemar's test, was used to compare tool agreement.

Main Results:

• Prevalence of malnutrition risk: NRS-2002 (55.1%), NUTRISCORE (40.6%), PG-SGA (59.4%).
• NRS-2002 and PG-SGA showed significant agreement (Kappa: 0.320, p = 0.008).
• NRS-2002 and PG-SGA identified more patients at risk of malnutrition compared to NUTRISCORE.

Conclusions:

• NRS-2002 and PG-SGA demonstrate higher sensitivity in identifying precachectic patients.
• NRS-2002 is a more practical and time-efficient screening tool for oncology outpatients.