Functional status of cancer patients. Free to use.
ECOG PS (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess functional status of cancer patients. The instrument contains 1 item.
Source / attribution: Oken MM et al. Am J Clin Oncol. 1982;5(6):649-655.
The instrument's primary construct — functional status of cancer patients — is operationalized through a fixed set of items, each with a defined response format. This standardisation is what allows ECOG PS scores to be compared meaningfully across clinicians, sites, and studies.
Like all screening or assessment instruments, ECOG PS is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 1 item below to see your ECOG PS score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 6-point scale (0–5). Your score updates live as you answer.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
ECOG PS uses simple summation: each item's selected response is converted to a numeric value, and the values are added to produce a total score. Reverse-scored items are inverted before summation.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | Good performance status | ECOG 0–1 — generally fit for systemic therapy. |
| 2–2 | Borderline | ECOG 2 — therapy decisions individualised. |
| 3–5 | Poor performance status | ECOG 3+ — generally not candidates for cytotoxic therapy; supportive care priority. |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Read each question and choose the response that best fits. Each response has a number next to it — that number is the item's score. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Performance status | 2 — Ambulatory, capable of self-care but unable to carry out work activities; up > 50 % of waking hours. | 2 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
2 = 2
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 2 falls between 2 and 2 → Borderline
Borderline. ECOG 2 — therapy decisions individualised.
A score is one input alongside history and examination. ECOG PS supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
If ECOG PS doesn't fit your context, related instruments in oncology include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnofsky PS | Functional status of cancer / chronic-illness patients | 1 | — |
| PHQ-9 | Severity of depression | 9 | ≈ 3 minutes |
| GAD-7 | Severity of generalized anxiety | 7 | ≈ 2 minutes |
| AUDIT | 10-item WHO screening tool for hazardous alcohol consumption and dependence. | 10 | ≈ 3 min |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
| MELD-Na | 3-month mortality in advanced liver disease; transplant prioritization | 5 | — |
ECOG PS (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status) is a validated instrument that assesses functional status of cancer patients. It is designed for clinicians, medical students, evidence-synthesis researchers. The 1 items are summed to produce a total score.
ECOG PS contains 1 items. Item scores are summed to produce the total. Scores run from 0 to 5, grouped into 3 interpretation bands from ‘Good performance status’ up to ‘Poor performance status’.
On the ECOG PS (total score 0–5), scores of 3–5 fall in the ‘Poor performance status’ band — interpreted as: ECOG 3+ — generally not candidates for cytotoxic therapy; supportive care priority. The full ladder is: 0–1 — Good performance status: ECOG 0–1 — generally fit for systemic therapy.; 2 — Borderline: ECOG 2 — therapy decisions individualised.; 3–5 — Poor performance status: ECOG 3+ — generally not candidates for cytotoxic therapy; supportive care priority. A higher score reflects a more severe presentation, and crossing a cutoff is a prompt to step up assessment or care — but these bands are screening thresholds, not diagnoses.
Scores of 0–1 fall in the ‘Good performance status’ band: ECOG 0–1 — generally fit for systemic therapy. A low score is reassuring but does not by itself rule out the underlying condition — if symptoms or clinical suspicion persist, reassess over time or use a complementary evaluation rather than relying on the number alone.
Yes — ECOG PS is in the public domain and free for clinical, educational, and research use without permission. You can use this calculator and the scale itself freely; if you publish results or reproduce the scale, cite the original source paper.
Oken MM et al. Toxicity and response criteria of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. Am J Clin Oncol. 1982;5(6):649-655. This is the original publication for the ECOG PS — the reference to cite when reporting results.
No. ECOG PS is a structured assessment aid, not a diagnostic test. Its proper role is clinical assessment of functional status of cancer patients — it standardizes assessment and flags who needs closer evaluation, but the result must be weighed alongside history, examination, and clinical context. When a score conflicts with your clinical impression, clinical judgment takes precedence; treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
ECOG PS is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: