The Risk of Malnutrition and its Impact on Quality of Life in Head and Neck Cancer

Abstract Objectives Individuals with head and neck cancer (HNCa) are at an increased risk of malnutrition. Therefore, the use of self-administered, outpatient nutrition screens that seek information specific to nutritional concerns may yield benefits of identifying a need for intervention which may facilitate improved treatment outcomes and quality of life (QOL). Methods In this descriptive, cohort case series conducted at a tertiary care center, fifty participants (36 men, 14 women) completed one demographic and two QOL surveys, a nutrition assessment, two nutrition self-screening tools, and an ease-of-use questionnaire. Results obtained from nutrition screens were compared to those of the nutrition assessment. Additionally, the relationships between QOL, nutrition status, and demographics were examined. Results Thirty-two percent of participants were identified as nutritionally compromised. In this patient population, the sensitivity and specificity for the PG-SGA SF and Pt-Global Application were found to be 81.25% and 100%, and 68.76% and 100%, respectively. Additionally, alterations in nutrition status were associated with QOL. Conclusions Data suggest that self-administered nutrition screens may be a viable option which enable proactive identification of nutritional concerns associated with HNCa.