Clinically significant changes in health-related quality of life in head and neck cancer patients following intensive nutritional care during radiotherapy.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore whether adherence to intensive nutritional care during radiotherapy would avoid a meaningful worsening in quality of life in head and neck cancer patients; and whether adherence was associated with better nutritional outcomes.

Methods: Observational prospective study that assessed head and neck cancer patients treated with radiotherapy at a large oncology hospital, between August 2018 and April 2019. The main outcome was minimal clinically important difference in quality of life, assessed with EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ H&N35, between baseline and 12 weeks. To illustrate clinically significant changes in quality of life over timeby adherence, a heat map analysis was performed. We also evaluated nutritional outcomes.

Results: Eighty patients were included, half of them (53.8%) were considered adherent. There were no significant difference in quality of life between groups at baseline, with the exception of swallowing (p = 0.029) and coughing (p < 0.01). After treatment, the heat map demonstrated that adherent patients had nonsignificant clinical change in function scales, while non-adherent patients had a clinically significant worsening in physical, cognitive and social function. The prevalence of malnutrition increased significantly only in non-adherent patients (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Adherence to intensive nutritional care may be able to avoid a meaningful worsening in quality of life and result in better nutritional outcomes in head and neck cancer patients. Our results may help to increase the awareness of the assessment of adherence and minimal clinically important difference in quality of life for research purposes and clinical practice.