Can subjective global assessment of nutritional status predict survival in ovarian cancer?
2008

Nutritional Status and Survival in Ovarian Cancer

Sample size: 132 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Gupta Digant, Lammersfeld Carolyn A, Vashi Pankaj G, Dahlk Sadie L, Lis Christopher G

Primary Institution: Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center

Hypothesis

Can subjective global assessment of nutritional status predict survival in ovarian cancer?

Conclusion

Low SGA scores are associated with better survival outcomes in ovarian cancer patients.

Supporting Evidence

  • Well nourished patients had a median survival of 19.3 months.
  • Moderately malnourished patients had a median survival of 15.5 months.
  • Severely malnourished patients had a median survival of 6.7 months.
  • Moderately malnourished status was associated with a relative risk of 2.1 compared to well nourished status.
  • Severely malnourished status was associated with a relative risk of 3.4 compared to well nourished status.

Takeaway

This study found that how well-nourished ovarian cancer patients are can help predict how long they might live.

Methodology

A retrospective chart review of 132 ovarian cancer patients was conducted, using Subjective Global Assessment to classify nutritional status and analyze survival data.

Potential Biases

Observer bias may affect the accuracy of the SGA due to its subjective nature.

Limitations

The study's retrospective nature may limit the accuracy of survival time calculations, and it did not evaluate the effectiveness of nutritional interventions.

Participant Demographics

Median age was 54.4 years, with a range from 25.5 to 82.5 years; 66 patients were well-nourished, 35 moderately malnourished, and 31 severely malnourished.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.0003

Confidence Interval

95% CI: 14.1 to 24.5

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1757-2215-1-5

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