Are you at risk of malnutrition?
Quick check
Your risk quick check
Answer these 4 questions to find out if you might be at risk of malnutrition:
1. Have you already lost weight unintentionally? If so, how many kilograms/pounds?
Your scale will be the first indication. If you’ve lost weight, not only is the number of kg/lbs critical but also how the weight loss has progressed. Patients with cancer during the active anticancer treatment who unintentionally lose 5–10% of their body weight within 3–6 months are considered at risk of malnutrition.
Important: Even overweight cancer patients can be affected!
2. How low is your BMI?
A BMI < 20 can be a sign of malnutrition, especially if you've also lost muscle mass.
3. Are you eating and drinking less than before your diagnosis?
Have your portions become smaller? Do you feel full sooner?
4. Is it hard for you to get enough to eat and drink because...
… you suffer from a loss of appetite, inflammation in the mouth, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, constipation or pain?
… you feel full sooner?
… nothing tastes like it used to anymore?
If you answered one ore more of the questions with yes, you could be at risk or already suffering from malnutrition. Talk to your doctor immediately. He will help you determine your current nutritional state. Together, you will probably choose one of the various types of professional screenings to identify your risk for malnutrition.
More detailed risk screening
Further questions to estimate the risk
Please note that this questionnaire only serves as an initial self-assessment and is no substitute for professional consultation (with your doctor or dietician). To find a more detailed malnutrition screening for cancer patients, please visit the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and discuss the results with your doctor.
If you already suffer from malnutrition, it’s important to take action as soon as possible as it can affect your body’s response to your anticancer treatment and your recovery. Nutritional supplementation has been shown to have a positive impact on malnutrition and can improve outcome in some patients. Consult your healthcare team to find out about your daily nutritional needs.