PMID: 2505913Mar 20, 1989Paper

Clinical evaluation of aggressive nutritional care to head and neck cancer patients during radiation therapy

Changgeng yi xue za zhi
C J ChinF J Lin

Abstract

Anorexia, dysphagia, and dysgeusia are the most prevalent symptoms in head and neck cancer patients during radiation therapy. The patients, who were in poor general condition, suffered marked loss of body weight and consequently were unable to tolerate further anti-cancer treatments. Aggressive nutritional support to the head and neck cancer patients was started in April, 1986 to improve the general condition of these patients in our hospital. The physiological condition of 152 patients who underwent nutritional support were evaluated as a study group (Group I) between August 1986 and May 1987. Group II, 165 patients without nutritional care were evaluated as a control group between August 1985 and May 1986. In Group I, oral supplementary diets or enteral feedings were provided as nutritional support to all of the anorectic patients. Anthropometric measurement and laboratory data were collected in both groups at the several time points. An average of 1.1 kilogram (Kg) and 3.5Kg body weight loss was observed in Group I and Group II, respectively (P less than 0.005). In patients diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the average duration of radiation treatment was 11 days shorter in Group I than that in Group II (42 vs 53 days)...Continue Reading

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