Weight loss, nutritional aspects and quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors

Paolo Junior Fantozzi; Federica Bruno; Riccardo Pampena; Maegan Reilly; Beatrice Carta; Veronica Stendardo; Giorgia Cunicella; Marco Della Monaca; Gianluca Tenore; Francesca De Felice; Valentino Valentini; Antonella Polimeni; Umberto Romeo; Alessandro Villa

doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2024.10.255

Weight loss, nutritional aspects and quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2024 Nov 9:S2212-4403(24)00793-4. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2024.10.255. Online ahead of print.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Department of Head and Neck, Umberto I Polyclinic Hospital, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: paolojunior.fantozzi@uniroma1.it.
² Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Department of Head and Neck, Umberto I Polyclinic Hospital, Rome, Italy.
³ Centro Oncologico ad Alta Tecnologia Diagnostica, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
⁴ Mae Reilly Nutrition, Private Practice, Boston, MA, USA.
⁵ Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomic Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
⁶ Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Oral Medicine, Oral Oncology and Dentistry, Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami, FL, USA.

PMID: 39632132
DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2024.10.255

Abstract

Objectives: Comprehensive care is fundamental to cancer survivors enduring long-term side-effects of cancer treatment including nutrition impact symptoms and critical weight loss (CWL). The aim of our study was to address weight loss (WL), nutritional aspects, and quality of life (QoL) in head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors.

Study design: This was a cross-sectional study of HNC patients treated at the Sapienza University-Hospital, 2018-2022. We administered a modified version of the EORTC-QLQ-H&N35, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for taste disorders, and the Fox Questionnaire for dry mouth. WL was recorded at T0 (before cancer treatment), T1 (right after treatment), and (at follow-up) T2.

Results: All patients (n = 63; 61.9% males) had a median WL of 16.7% (range: 1.4%-44.2%) at T1 and a median of 9.8% (range: 1.8%-45.6%) at T2. Patients with dysgeusia, poor dentition, and those who underwent major orofacial surgery had the highest WL (P < .05). Patients who received multiple treatment regimens had a higher WL compared to those receiving fewer regimens (P < .05). Patients with nutritional problems (71.4%) had a lower QoL throughout (P < .05).

Conclusions: CWL is an important side effect of HNC treatment and may particularly affect survivors with xerostomia/dysgeusia, poor dentition, and those receiving multiple treatment regimens.