Nasogastric and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube use in advanced head and neck cancer patients: a comparative...

To compare the efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and nasogastric (NGT) tube administration of enteral nutrition in head and neck cancer patients undergoing curative treatment, the authors conducted a prospective study to compare nutritional outcomes, complications, and patient satisfaction. PEG patients sustained significantly less reduction in nutritional parameters, measured at 6 weeks post insertion, as compared with NGT patients. There was also a statistically significant difference between the two groups in patient's quality of life scores and complications. Comparison could not be done at 6 months because all patients were converted to PEG feeding due to the earlier findings. The authors conclude that PEG is more efficacious than NGT as a channel for nutrition in advanced head and neck cancer patients over a short duration.