Association between Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment and Skeletal Muscle Determined by Computed Tomography in Patients with Cervical Cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Myopenia is a significant problem in oncology patients and the use of reliable instruments for its identification in clinical practice is necessary.

Objective: To evaluate the association between the Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and skeletal muscle (SM) measured by computed tomography (CT) in patients with cervical cancer.

Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study which enrolled women with cervical cancer, over 20 years, who started treatment between January 2015 and September 2018. The ones who presented PG-SGA and imaging of CT with a maximum interval of 45 days between them were included. The SM index (SMI) was used to classify myopenia and a significance level of 5% was adopted.

Results: According to the PG-SGA, malnutrition was found in 56% patients and 23% were classified with myopenia by CT. The PG-SGA parameters were significantly associated with the SMI. The cutoff points that best discriminated myopenia were the PG-SGA total score ≥ 10, muscle depletion ≥ 2.0, and physical examination score ≥ 2.0.

Conclusion: The PG-SGA showed to be a useful and viable method that shows good association and correlation with the SMI.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the patients participating in the study, the Research Group on Nutrition and Cancer (HCII/INCA) and the authors of the referenced articles. This work was not supported by any funding agency.

Author’s Contributions

Fernanda de Oliveira Pereira participated with the data acquisition, analysis and interpretation; wrote the article and critically reviewed it; and participated in the final approval of the version to be published. Amanda Pereira Mota participated with the data acquisition and interpretation; wrote the article and critically reviewed it; and participated in the final approval of the version to be published. Mariah Azevedo Aredes participated with the data acquisition and interpretation; reviewed the article critically with important intellectual contribution; and participated in the final approval of the version to be published. Gabriela Villaça Chaves participated with substantial contributions to conception and design; participated with the data analysis and interpretation; wrote the article and critically reviewed it with important intellectual contribution; and participated in the final approval of the version to be published. Izabel Cristina Ramos Cardoso participated with substantial contributions to conception and design; participated with the data acquisition, analysis and interpretation; wrote the article and critically reviewed it with an important intellectual contribution; and participated in the final approval of the version to be published.

Disclosure Statement

All authors declare no conflicts of interest.