Nutrition Management for the Head and Neck Cancer Patient

Abstract

Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients often face multiple nutritional challenges before, during, and after treatment due to the close proximity of the cancer to organs that are vital for normal eating function. Common treatment-related side effects, such as dysphagia, odynophagia, dysgeusia, xerostomia, thick saliva, mucositis, nausea, and vomiting, all further impair the patient's ability to maintain adequate oral intake. Malnutrition and unintentional weight loss in HNC patients during and after treatment are associated with poorer treatment outcomes, increased morbidity and mortality, and poor quality of life, even in overweight and obese patients whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is not suggestive of malnutrition. The main nutrition goal for HNC patients is thus to maximize nutrition intake either orally or through nutrition support therapy in order to prevent or limit weight loss, preserve lean body mass, minimize treatment delays and unplanned hospitalizations, and improve treatment outcomes. This chapter will discuss nutrition interventions to manage common symptoms before, during, and after treatment for HNC. Guidelines will be provided for patients that require enteral nutrition or less commonly, parenteral nutrition.

Keywords: Dysphagia; Enteral nutrition; Head and neck cancer; Malnutrition; Mucositis; Nasogastric tube; Parenteral nutrition; Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy; Xerostomia.