Abstract
Malnutrition is a frequent manifestation in patients with head-and-neck cancer undergoing radiation therapy and a major contributor to morbidity and mortality. Thus, body composition is an important component of an overall evaluation of nutrition in cancer patients. Malnutrition is characterized by weight loss, loss of muscle mass, changes in cell membrane integrity, and alterations in fluid balance. Bioelectrical impedance analysis is a method to analyze body composition and includes parameters such as intracellular water content, extracellular water content, and cell membrane integrity in the form of a phase angle (Φ). Bioelectrical impedance analysis has consistently been shown to have prognostic value with respect to mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing chemotherapy. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between Φ, time, intracellular water content, and weight for head-and-neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. The results demonstrate that Φ decreases with time and increases with intracellular water content and weight.
Highlights
Head-and-neck squamous cell cancer includes cancer of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx[1]
Malnutrition is a frequent manifestation in patients with advanced cancer and a major contributor to morbidity and mortality[3]
The percentage of malnourished patients rises to 44% –88%1,5
Summary
Head-and-neck squamous cell cancer (hnscc) includes cancer of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx[1]. It constitutes the 7th most common malignancy in the world, and it is typically treated with external-beam radiation. Common treatment-related complications in hnscc patients include dysphagia, mucositis, and generalized nausea[1,2]. Because of those side effects, daily food intake is often diminished, leading to unintentional weight loss and malnutrition. Malnutrition in hnscc is affected by radiation, it can be further exaggerated by mechanical difficulties (swallowing or chewing, for example) resulting from mass effect or prior surgery, by poor nutrition related to heavy smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and by the toxicities of multimodal cancer treatment such as chemoradiotherapy[6]
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