PD051 - ENHANCED SENSITIVITY OF PG-SGA SF OVER MUST FOR EARLY NUTRITIONAL RISK DETECTION IN CANCER PREHABILITATION

PD051

ENHANCED SENSITIVITY OF PG-SGA SF OVER MUST FOR EARLY NUTRITIONAL RISK DETECTION IN CANCER PREHABILITATION

C. McMurray^1,*

¹Cancer Prehabilitation, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom

Rationale: Cancer prehabilitation offers a vital window to optimise nutrition before treatment, yet malnutrition and cancer-related metabolic decline are often missed when relying on weight‑based tools such as the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST). Early identification of nutritional deterioration enables timely dietetic intervention and improves treatment outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective review of 319 patients enrolled in a cancer prehabilitation programme (May–November 2025) compared Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment Short Form (PG‑SGA SF) and MUST scores at diagnosis and at 4‑week follow‑up. Nutritional decline was defined as a worsening score. Differences in scores and dietetic referral eligibility between tools were analysed, and correlation between screening methods assessed.

Results: 63% (n=201) required or were eligible for dietetic support, with a further 4% requesting input despite not meeting MUST criteria. PG‑SGA SF identified nutritional decline in 49% (n=156), compared with 15% (n=48) detected by MUST. Paired analysis showed PG‑SGA SF detected significantly more deterioration (118 vs 13 discordant cases; p < 0.0001). Agreement between tools was weak (Spearman ρ = 0.385; p = 1.46×10⁻¹²), suggesting they measure different aspects of nutritional risk. PG‑SGA SF detected decline across all subgroups, including 37% who felt dietetic support was unnecessary, 60% whose referrals were rejected, and 73% engaged in prehabilitation exercise classes.

Conclusion: PG‑SGA SF demonstrated significantly greater sensitivity than MUST for early nutritional decline in cancer prehabilitation. By capturing symptom‑related and functional changes before weight loss occurs, PG‑SGA SF identifies at‑risk patients who may be overlooked by weight‑based screening alone. Incorporating PG‑SGA SF into prehabilitation pathways supports earlier dietetic intervention and improve treatment outcomes.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared