Changes in nutritional status and dietary intake during and after head and neck cancer treatment

The purpose of this study was to test whether nutritional status of patients with head and neck cancer changes during and after treatment.

Nutritional status (including body weight, lean mass, and fat mass) and dietary intake were assessed in 29 patients with head and neck cancer. Patients were assessed 1 week before, and 1 and 4 months after treatment (radiotherapy, either alone or combined with chemotherapy or surgery).

During treatment, body weight (-3.6 ± 5.3 kg; p = .019) and lean mass (-2.43 ± 2.81 kg; p = .001) significantly declined. Patients with sufficient intake (≥35 kcal and ≥1.5 grams protein/kg body weight) lost less body weight and lean mass than patients with insufficient intake (mean difference, -4.0 ± 1.9 kg; p = 0.048 and -2.1 ± 1.0 kg; p = .054, respectively). After treatment, only patients with sufficient intake gained body weight (2.3 ± 2.3 kg) and lean mass (1.2 ± 1.3 kg).

Patients with head and neck cancer fail to maintain or improve nutritional status during treatment, despite sufficient intake.