Vol 14, No 2 (2018)
Review paper
Published online: 2018-04-26
Nutritional therapy during the treatment of head and neck cancer
DOI: 10.5603/OCP.2018.0012
Oncol Clin Pract 2018;14(2):79-85.
Abstract
Multimodality treatments for patients with squamous cell head and neck cancer often produce significant mucositis and dysphagia, resulting in severe weight loss that requires nutritional support. Continuously progressing malnutrition is associated with shorter time to the development of complications, with shorter overall survival (OS), worse response to oncological treatment, deteriorating quality of life, and poorer performance status; moreover, cachexia strongly affects treatment tolerance. This article provides an overview of the methods of nutritional support for patients undergoing treatments for head and neck cancer: surgery, radiochemotherapy, and palliative care. Nowadays, nutritional therapy is a mandatory part of head and neck cancer management.
Keywords: head and neck cancerradiochemotherapynutritional supportmalnutritioncachexia
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