Nutritional status, food intake, and dysphagia in long-term survivors with head and neck cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate nutritional status, food intake, and dysphagia in long-term head and neck cancer survivors.

Methods: Thirty-two patients with stage III-IV head and neck cancer treated by chemoradiotherapy were invited to evaluate nutritional status (malnutrition, relative weight loss), food intake (food modification; quality), and dysphagia.

Results: At a median follow up of 44 months, 6 of 32 patients were at risk for malnutrition.

Weight loss in head and neck cancer patients little noticed in general practice.

Introduction: In head and neck cancer patients, weight loss increases morbidity and mortality, and decreases treatment tolerance and quality of life. Early nutritional intervention has beneficial effects on these factors.

Aim: We observed patients' weight courses after specialists' care and surveyed nutrition-related documentation by general practitioners (GPs).

Comparison of the effect of individual dietary counselling and of standard nutritional care on weight loss in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy.

Clinical research shows that nutritional intervention is necessary to prevent malnutrition in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. The objective of the present study was to assess the value of individually adjusted counselling by a dietitian compared to standard nutritional care (SC). A prospective study, conducted between 2005 and 2007, compared individual dietary counselling (IDC, optimal energy and protein requirement) to SC by an oncology nurse (standard nutritional counselling).

What you think is not what they get: significant discrepancies between prescribed and administered doses of tube feeding.

Enteral tube feeding remains an indispensible strategy to treat disease-related malnutrition. In the present study we evaluated in clinical practice whether prescribed feeding volumes correspond with administered quantities and we highlight possible causes for discrepancies. During a 4-month observation period data from all patients fully depending on tube feeding (1.

A prospective study on malnutrition and quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer.

The objective of this observational prospective study in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral, oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal cavity was to look into the relation between malnutrition (>or=10% unintended weight loss within 6 months) and specific quality of life (QoL) parameters longitudinally. Bodyweight and QoL were monitored in 47 patients with SCC at diagnosis, end of treatment and six months after treatment. EORTC QoLQ-C30 and H&N 35 questionnaires were used to assess QoL.