Background/Objectives Reduced food intake is a key aetiological factor of malnutrition. The study purpose was to validate the ingesta Verbal Analogue Scale (ingesta-VAS), a promising tool for rapid food intake assessment, in older adults with cancer in whom malnutrition is frequent and affects treatment outcomes and survival. Subjects/Methods This prospective study focused on ≥70-year-old patients with a diet history undergoing their first oncological treatment at a French cancer centre. Exclusion criteria included surgery, oral intake cessation, or artificial nutrition use. Dietitians evaluated nutritional status, daily energy intake, and used the ingesta-VAS and Mini-Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF). The ingesta-VAS validity, sensitivity, specificity, and prognostic impact were assessed using daily food intake as primary criterion, then <25 kcal/kg/day as reference standard for inadequate energy intake. The Area Under the Curve was used to select the cut-off. Overall survival was assessed with the Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results The analysis involved 441 participants. The correlation between ingesta-VAS scores and energy intake was strong (<InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$\rho$</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mi>ρ</mi> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> = 0.71), and moderate with the MNA-SF scores (<InlineEquation ID="IEq2"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$\rho$</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mi>ρ</mi> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> = 0.55, p < .001). Its sensitivity and specificity for detecting inadequate energy intake was 79.0% and 72.6%, respectively. Combined with performance status and body mass index, ingesta-VAS significantly predicted the inadequate energy intake (odds ratio: 10.2, p < 0.001). Difference in overall survival groups was significant with the cut-off of ≤7 [HR = 1.60 (95% CI: 1.29–1.98), p < 0.001]. Conclusions The ingesta-VAS exhibits reliable metrological properties and may serve as an early, non-invasive, and simple tool to screen reduced food intake in older adults with cancer for detecting the risk of malnutrition.

Screening for reduced food intake in 2 minutes: validation of the ingesta verbal analogue scale in medical geriatric oncology

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2025年12月5日

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Pierre Senesse,
Julie Deffrennes,
Nicolas Flori,
Chloé Janiszewski,
Laure Francioni,
Simon Thezenas,
Estelle Guerdoux

摘要

Background/Objectives

Reduced food intake is a key aetiological factor of malnutrition. The study purpose was to validate the ingesta Verbal Analogue Scale (ingesta-VAS), a promising tool for rapid food intake assessment, in older adults with cancer in whom malnutrition is frequent and affects treatment outcomes and survival.

Subjects/Methods

This prospective study focused on ≥70-year-old patients with a diet history undergoing their first oncological treatment at a French cancer centre. Exclusion criteria included surgery, oral intake cessation, or artificial nutrition use. Dietitians evaluated nutritional status, daily energy intake, and used the ingesta-VAS and Mini-Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF). The ingesta-VAS validity, sensitivity, specificity, and prognostic impact were assessed using daily food intake as primary criterion, then <25 kcal/kg/day as reference standard for inadequate energy intake. The Area Under the Curve was used to select the cut-off. Overall survival was assessed with the Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Results

The analysis involved 441 participants. The correlation between ingesta-VAS scores and energy intake was strong ( $\rho$ $ρ$ = 0.71), and moderate with the MNA-SF scores ( $\rho$ $ρ$ = 0.55, p < .001). Its sensitivity and specificity for detecting inadequate energy intake was 79.0% and 72.6%, respectively. Combined with performance status and body mass index, ingesta-VAS significantly predicted the inadequate energy intake (odds ratio: 10.2, p < 0.001). Difference in overall survival groups was significant with the cut-off of ≤7 [HR = 1.60 (95% CI: 1.29–1.98), p < 0.001].

Conclusions

The ingesta-VAS exhibits reliable metrological properties and may serve as an early, non-invasive, and simple tool to screen reduced food intake in older adults with cancer for detecting the risk of malnutrition.