Nutrition Status and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Outpatients With Advanced Head and Neck Cancer.
This pilot study evaluated nutrition status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes among outpatients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Data were collected from 19 patients (18 males, 1 female) during 3 time points: once before chemoradiotherapy (CRT) initiation and 1 and 3 months after CRT. Nutrition status was evaluated using the Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). Malnutrition was defined as PG-SGA stage B (moderate/suspected malnutrition) or stage C (severely malnourished). HRQOL was assessed through the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and its HNC-specific module (QLQ-H&N35). We found that well-nourished patients reported having fewer issues with pain, fatigue, appetite loss, chewing, sticky saliva, coughing, and social eating than those categorized as malnourished (P < .05). The association between the global quality-of-life score and PG-SGA score was statistically significant but weak in strength (r = -0.37, P = .012). Although PG-SGA identified 70% as either moderately or severely malnourished before treatment initiation, the mean body mass index was in the overweight category (29 ± 5 kg/m2 ). Compared with pretreatment, patients reported more severe problems with chewing, swallowing, sticky saliva, dry mouth, speech, social eating, and taste and smell sensations at 1-month follow-up, although issues with dry mouth persisted 3 months post treatment (P = .003). In conclusion, malnourished patients reported having worse HRQOL symptoms compared with well-nourished patients. Routine nutrition and psychosocial assessment through PG-SGA and EORTC tools might help identify patients in need of nutrition and psychosocial care.
['Mulasi|Urvashi|U|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3203-3785', 'Vock|David M|DM|', 'Jager-Wittenaar|Harriët|H|', 'Teigen|Levi|L|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6409-0485', 'Kuchnia|Adam J|AJ|', 'Jha|Gautam|G|', 'Fujioka|Naomi|N|', 'Rudrapatna|Venkatesh|V|', 'Patel|Manish R|MR|', 'Earthman|Carrie P|CP|']
D000368:Aged D005260:Female D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D015596:Nutrition Assessment D009752:Nutritional Status D010045:Outpatients D010865:Pilot Projects D011788:Quality of Life
quality of life head and neck cancer PG-SGA malnutrition nutrition station