Comparação de instrumentos de avaliação nutricional em pacientes oncológicos: uma revisão integrativa da literatura

Abstract

To identify, based on scientific evidence, which nutritional assessment tool shows the greatest sensitivity, specificity, and applicability for detecting malnutrition in oncology patients. Method: This is an integrative literature review, in which the searches were limited to publications from the last ten years in the following electronic databases: PubMed/Medline, CAPES Journals Portal, LILACS, and SciELO, in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, using the following descriptors: “malnutrition”, “nutritional status”, “nutritional assessment tools”, and “oncology patient”. Results: A total of 324 articles were initially identified in the databases; after selection according to the predefined exclusion criteria, 5 articles fully met all criteria and therefore composed the final sample of this integrative review. The included studies compared nutritional screening and assessment tools, with GLIM, NRS-2002, and PG-SGA being the most prevalent. Conclusion: The findings of this review indicate that the combination of instruments, with initial screening followed by detailed diagnostic assessment (PG-SGA and/or GLIM), is the most effective strategy for the early identification of malnutrition in cancer patients. Due to the methodological heterogeneity of the studies included in this review and the absence of a universal gold standard for nutritional diagnosis, important gaps in the literature were identified, highlighting the need for more rigorous standards in future research.