PURPOSE OF RESEARCH: A state of the science review to assess how nutritional status and malnutrition are defined by the community of researchers studying head & neck cancer (HNC) patients. PRINCIPAL RESULTS: In 117 publications, nutritional status was described diversely, ranging from merely one to all six of the following features: weight loss, body composition, quantity/type of food intake, symptoms impacting oral intake, inflammation and altered metabolism. Methods of assessment of each feature were inconsistent. Cancer- and treatment-related symptoms impacting oral intake were a prominent theme. Metabolic changes potentially related to weight loss and efficacy of nutritional therapy were rarely described (<15% of articles). There were 24 different explicit definitions for malnutrition. CONCLUSION: Consensus is needed regarding the criteria to adequately describe HNC-associated malnutrition. Standardization of assessments will permit aggregation of data, and integration into clinical practice-specifically, development of consensus criteria for implementation and termination of nutrition therapies.
PURPOSE OF RESEARCH: A state of the science review to assess how nutritional status and malnutrition are defined by the community of researchers studying head & neck cancer (HNC) patients. PRINCIPAL RESULTS: In 117 publications, nutritional status was described diversely, ranging from merely one to all six of the following features: weight loss, body composition, quantity/type of food intake, symptoms impacting oral intake, inflammation and altered metabolism. Methods of assessment of each feature were inconsistent. Cancer- and treatment-related symptoms impacting oral intake were a prominent theme. Metabolic changes potentially related to weight loss and efficacy of nutritional therapy were rarely described (<15% of articles). There were 24 different explicit definitions for malnutrition. CONCLUSION: Consensus is needed regarding the criteria to adequately describe HNC-associated malnutrition. Standardization of assessments will permit aggregation of data, and integration into clinical practice-specifically, development of consensus criteria for implementation and termination of nutrition therapies.
Authors: Sandra Ottosson; Ulrika Lindblom; Peter Wahlberg; Per Nilsson; Elisabeth Kjellén; Björn Zackrisson; Eva Levring Jäghagen; Göran Laurell Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2014-04-01 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Valentina Bressan; Annamaria Bagnasco; Giuseppe Aleo; Gianluca Catania; Milko P Zanini; Fiona Timmins; Loredana Sasso Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2017-02-15 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Zhi Cheng; Minoru Nakatsugawa; Chen Hu; Scott P Robertson; Xuan Hui; Joseph A Moore; Michael R Bowers; Ana P Kiess; Brandi R Page; Laura Burns; Mariah Muse; Amanda Choflet; Kousuke Sakaue; Shinya Sugiyama; Kazuki Utsunomiya; John W Wong; Todd R McNutt; Harry Quon Journal: Adv Radiat Oncol Date: 2017-12-07