[What nutritional management in patients with head and neck cancers undergoing radiotherapy? An overview].

Abstract

Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for head and neck cancers but patients often experience side effects, which lead to malnutrition. Morbidity related to weight loss during treatment may include dehydration, hospitalization, compromised treatment efficacy, and reduced quality of life and may impact survival hence the importance of early nutritional management prior to radiotherapy. Multiple interventions have been implemented to help ameliorate the impact of treatment on weight loss and nutritional status, including the use of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes. The goal of this overview is to search the predictive factors of malnutrition and an overview of the different types of nutritional interventions and their impact on the local control of the disease, mortality and quality of life of patients treated with radiotherapy or concomitant chemoradiotherapy.

• Authors: Fadila Kouhen, Mohammed Afif, Naoual Benhmidou, Sanaa El Majjaoui, Hanan Elkacemi, Tayeb Kebdani, Noureddine Benjaafar
• Journal: Bulletin du cancer (Bull Cancer) Vol. 102 Issue 10 Pg. 874-9 (Oct 2015) ISSN: 1769-6917 [Electronic] France
• Vernacular Title: Quelle prise en charge nutritionnelle des patients atteints du cancer de la sphère oto-rhino-laryngée traités par la radiothérapie ? Une mise au point.
• PMID: 26384695 (Publication Type: English Abstract, Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015 Société Française du Cancer. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Enteral Nutrition (methods)
• Feeding Methods
• Gastrostomy (methods)
• Humans
• Intubation, Gastrointestinal (methods)
• Malnutrition (therapy)
• Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms (mortality, radiotherapy)
• Quality of Life
• Weight Loss