Nutritional Status and Barriers to Dietary Intake in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

AHS Cancer Control Alberta

Status: Completed

Conditions: Head and Neck Cancer

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00375180

HN-4-0030 / 23028

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators hope to learn more about how side-effects of RT or RTchemo affect food intake and nutrition status.

Full description

Head and neck cancer patients often have difficulty meeting their nutritional needs while undergoing radiation therapy (RT) and/or chemotherapy (RTchemo). Tumor locations and side effects of RT or RTchemo, including dry mouth, mouth sores, difficulty chewing and swallowing, changes in taste and smell, and loss of appetite, lead to poor food intake and weight loss. The investigators hope to learn more about how side-effects of RT or RTchemo affect food intake and nutrition status.

Enrollment: 100 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years or older
• Diagnosed with head and neck cancer including the lip, oral cavity, salivary glands, paranasal sinuses, oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, and thyroid
• All histological types of cancer
• All tumour stages according to American Joint Committee for Cancer (AJCC) Staging
• All forms of RT including standard or investigational and/or concurrent standard or investigational chemotherapy for head and neck cancers
• Alert and mentally competent
• English speaking

Exclusion criteria

• Unwilling to participate