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- Title
Prevalence and influence of malnutrition on quality of life and performance status in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer before treatment.
- Authors
Capuano, Giorgio; Gentile, Pier Carlo; Bianciardi, Federico; Tosti, Michela; Palladino, Anna; Di Palma, Mario
- Abstract
Goals of work The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and influence of malnutrition (unintentional weight loss ≥5% in the last 3 months) on quality of life (QoL) and performance status (PS) in head and neck cancer patients (HNC) before treatment. Patients and methods Sixty-one consecutive outpatients affected by locally advanced HNC (III-IVA stage) were enrolled. In all patients, nutritional intake (by diet history), nutritional status (Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment), unintentional weight loss (UWL), serum prealbumin, hemoglobin level (Hb), C-reactive protein, QoL (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C-30 v. 3.0), and PS (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) PS) were assessed before radio or concomitant chemoradiotherapy. Main results Thirty-six percent of HNC were malnourished before treatment. The median ECOG PS in malnourished patients was 1 (0-2), whereas in nonmalnourished was 0 (0-2; p=0.018). Physical (p=0.043), role (p=0.047), and social functions (p=0.024) scores were significantly worse in malnourished than in nonmalnourished HNC. Fatigue (p<0.001), appetite loss (p<0.001), and nausea and vomiting (p=0.002) scores were worse in malnourished patients than in nonmalnourished. In the multivariate analysis, UWL and Hb level independently influenced physical (p=0.002; p=0.005), role (p=0.004; p=0.001), and social functions (p=0.024; p=0.009). Conclusion Our data suggest that an early and intensive nutritional support might reduce weight loss before, during, and after treatment completion, improving outcome, QoL, and PS.
- Subjects
CANCER &; nutrition; NUTRITION; CANCER patients; QUALITY of life; MALNUTRITION; HEAD &; neck cancer; WEIGHT loss
- Publication
Supportive Care in Cancer, 2010, Vol 18, Issue 4, p433
- ISSN
0941-4355
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s00520-009-0681-8