There are various scoring systems. The most generally used are the Karnofsky score and the Zubrod score, the latter being used in publications by the WHO. For children, the Lansky score is used.
The Karnofsky score runs from 100 to 0, where 100 is "perfect" health and 0 is death. Although the score has been described with intervals of 10, a practitioner may choose decimals if he or she feels a patient's situation holds somewhere between two marks. It is named after Dr David A. Karnofsky, who described the scale with Dr Joseph H. Burchenal in 1949.[1]
100% - normal, no complaints, no signs of disease
90% - capable of normal activity, few symptoms or signs of disease
80% - normal activity with some difficulty, some symptoms or signs
70% - caring for self, not capable of normal activity or work
60% - requiring some help, can take care of most personal requirements
50% - requires help often, requires frequent medical care
40% - disabled, requires special care and help
30% - severely disabled, hospital admission indicated but no risk of death
20% - very ill, urgently requiring admission, requires supportive measures or treatment
The ECOG score (published by Oken et al in 1982), also called the WHO or Zubrod score (after C. Gordon Zubrod), runs from 0 to 5, with 0 denoting perfect health and 5 death:[2]
0 - Asymptomatic (Fully active, able to carry on all predisease activities without restriction)
1 - Symptomatic but completely ambulatory (Restricted in physically strenuous activity but ambulatory and able to carry out work of a light or sedentary nature. For example, light housework, office work)
2 - Symptomatic, <50% in bed during the day (Ambulatory and capable of all self care but unable to carry out any work activities. Up and about more than 50% of waking hours)
3 - Symptomatic, >50% in bed, but not bedbound (Capable of only limited self-care, confined to bed or chair 50% or more of waking hours)
4 - Bedbound (Completely disabled. Cannot carry on any self-care. Totally confined to bed or chair)
5 - Death
Lansky score
Children, who might have more trouble expressing their experienced quality of life, require a somewhat more observational scoring system suggested and validated by Lansky et al in 1987:[3]
100 - fully active, normal
90 - minor restrictions in strenuous physical activity
80 - active, but tired more quickly
70 - greater restriction of play and less time spent in play activity
60 - up and around, but active play minimal; keeps busy by being involved in quieter activities
50 - lying around much of the day, but gets dressed; no active playing participates in all quiet play and activities
40 - mainly in bed; participates in quiet activities
30 - bedbound; needing assistance even for quiet play
20 - sleeping often; play entirely limited to very passive activities
10 - doesn't play; does not get out of bed
0 - unresponsive
Comparison
A comparison between the Zubrod and Karnofsky scales has been validated in a large sample of patients:[4]
Zubrod 0 equals Karnofsky 100; 90-100
Zubrod 1 equals Karnofsky 80-90; 70-80
Zubrod 2 equals Karnofsky 60-70; 50-60
Zubrod 3 equals Karnofsky 40-50; 30-40
Zubrod 4 equals Karnofsky 20-30;10-20
References
↑ Karnofsky DA, Burchenal JH. (1949). "The Clinical Evaluation of Chemotherapeutic Agents in Cancer." In: MacLeod CM (Ed), Evaluation of Chemotherapeutic Agents. Columbia Univ Press. Page 196.
↑ Buccheri G, Ferrigno D, Tamburini M. Karnofsky and ECOG performance status scoring in lung cancer: a prospective, longitudinal study of 536 patients from a single institution. Eur J Cancer. 1996 Jun;32A(7):1135-41.
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