Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Supportive Care in Cancer
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer 11/2013

01-11-2013 | Original Article

The head and neck symptom checklist©: an instrument to evaluate nutrition impact symptoms effect on energy intake and weight loss

Authors: Catherine Kubrak, Kärin Olson, Vickie E. Baracos

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 11/2013

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to validate the Head and Neck Patient Symptom Checklist© (HNSC©) by tracing the prevalence and interference with eating of nutrition impact symptoms (NIS) over time and by examining relationships among NIS included in the HNSC, energy intake, and weight loss.

Methods

Height, weight, 3-day diet records, and HNSC© were obtained at baseline, posttreatment, and 2.5 month follow-up for 52 treatment–naive head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. Relationships among energy intake, weight loss, age, sex, treatment, tumor stage, and NIS were evaluated using general estimating equation (GEE) modeling. Cumulative hazard (CH) analysis was used to determine the time and risk of weight loss.

Results

From baseline to posttreatment, 71 % of patients had 5 % body weight loss. Despite energy intakes returning to baseline levels at follow-up, 88 % of patients continued to lose weight. At posttreatment, 100 % of patients reported 2 or more NIS (range 2–12); these symptoms were still present at follow-up in 83 % of the patients. Univariate GEE analysis demonstrated that most NIS predicted energy intake and weight loss, while multivariate GEE analysis showed that depression, dysphagia, and sore mouth predicted energy intake, and dysphagia and sore mouth predicted weight loss. CH analysis showed that NIS accelerated the time and probability of weight loss.

Conclusions

The HNSC© is a valid tool for assessing NIS in HNC. Identification of NIS may aid in the management of symptoms associated with reduced energy intake and weight loss and thus decrease the malnutrition risk in HNC patients.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Munshi A, Pandey MB, Durga T, Pandey KC, Bahadur S, Mohanti BT (2003) Weight loss during radiotherapy for head and neck malignancies: what factors impact it? Nutr Cancer 47(3):136–140PubMedCrossRef
2.
Denis F, Garaud P, Bardet E et al (2004) Final results of the 94–01 French head and neck oncology and radiology group randomized trial comparing radiotherapy alone with concomitant radiochemotherapy in advanced-stage oropharynx carcinoma. J Clin Oncol 22:69–76PubMedCrossRef
3.
El-Sayed S, Nelson N (1996) Adjuvant and adjunctive chemotherapy in the management of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region: a meta-analysis of prospective and randomized trials. J Clin Oncol 14:838–847PubMed
4.
Argiris A, Li Y, Forastiere A (2004) Prognostic factors and long-term survivorship in patients with recurrent or metastatic carcinoma of the head and neck. An analysis of two eastern cooperative oncology group randomized trials. Cancer 101:2222–2229PubMedCrossRef
5.
Nguyen T, Yueh B (2002) Weight loss predicts mortality after recurrent oral cavity and oropharyngeal carcinomas. Cancer 95:553–562PubMedCrossRef
6.
Couch M, Lai V, Cannon T et al (2007) Cancer cachexia syndrome in head and neck cancer patients: Part I. diagnosis, impact on quality of life and survival, and treatment. Head Neck 29:401–411PubMedCrossRef
7.
Baracos VE (2006) Cancer-associated cachexia and underlying biological mechanisms. Annu Rev Nutr 26:435–461PubMedCrossRef
8.
Jager-Wittenaar H, Dijkstra PU, Vissink A, van der Laan BF, van Oort RP, Roodenburg JL (2007) Critical weight loss in head and neck cancer prevalence and risk factors at diagnosis: an explorative study. Support Care Cancer 15:1045–1050PubMedCrossRef
9.
Kubrak C, Olson K, Jha N, Jensen L, McCargar L, Seikaly H, Harris J, Scrimger R, Parliament M, Baracos V (2010) Nutritional impact symptoms: key determinants of reduced dietary intake, weight loss, and reduced functional capacity of head and neck cancer patients prior to treatment. Head and Neck 32(3):290–300PubMed
10.
Larsson M, Hedelin B, Johansson I, Athlin E (2005) Eating problems and weight loss for patients with head and neck cancer: a chart review from diagnosis until 1 year after treatment. Cancer Nurs 28:425–435PubMedCrossRef
11.
Kubrak C, Olson K, Jha N, McCargar L, Scrimger R, Parliament M, Koski S, & Baracos V. (2012) Clinical determinants of weight loss in patients receiving radiation and cheoirradiation for head and neck cancer: A prospective longitudinal view. Head and Neck, available online
12.
Schmidt KN, Olson K, Kubrak C, Parliamen M, Ghosh S (2013) Validation of the Head and Neck Patient Symptom Checklist as a nutrition impact symptom assessment tool for head and neck cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 21(1):27–34PubMedCrossRef
13.
Liang KL, Zeger SL (1986) Longitudinal data analysis using generalized linear models. Biometrika 73:13–22CrossRef
14.
Zeger SL, Liang KL (1986) Longitudinal data analysis for discrete and continuous outcomes. Biometrics 42:121–130PubMedCrossRef
15.
Head BA, Heitz L, Keeney C, Myers J, Appana SN, Studts JL et al (2011) The relationship between weight loss and health-related quality of life in persons treated for head and neck cancer. Support Care Cancer 19(10):1511–1518PubMedCrossRef
16.
van Bokhorst-de van der Schueren MA, van Leeuwen PA, Kuik DJ, Klop WM, Sauerwein HP, Snow GB, Quak JJ et al (1999) The impact of nutritional status on the prognoses of patients with advanced head and neck cancer. Cancer 86(3):519–527CrossRef
17.
Ki Y, Kim W, Nam J, Kim D, Park D, Kim D (2009) C-reactive protein levels and radiation-induced mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 75(2):393–398PubMedCrossRef
18.
Britton B, Clover K, Bateman L, Odelli C, Whenham K, Zeman A et al (2012) Baseline depression predicts malnutrition in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Support Care Cancer 20(2):335–342PubMedCrossRef
19.
Jager-Wittenaar H, Dijkstra PU, Vissink A, van Oort RP, van der Laan B et al (2011) Malnutrition in patients treated for oral or oropharyngeal cancer prevalence and relationship with oral symptoms: an explorative study. Support Care Cancer 19(10):1675–1683PubMedCrossRef
20.
Oates J, Clark JR, Read J et al (2007) Prospective evaluation of quality of life and nutrition before and after treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 133:533–540PubMedCrossRef
21.
van den Berg MGA, Rasmussen-Conrad EL, Gwasara GM, Krabbe PFM, Naber AHJ, Merkx MA (2006) A prospective study on weight loss and energy intake in patients with head and neck cancer, during diagnosis, treatment, and revalidation. Clin Nutr 25:765–772PubMedCrossRef
22.
Connor NP, Cohen SB, Kammer RE, Sullivan PA, Brewer KA, Hong TS et al (2006) Impact of conventional radiotherapy on health-related quality of life and critical functions of the head and neck. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 65(4):1051–1062PubMedCrossRef
23.
Buckwalter AE, Karnell LH, Smith RB, Christensen AJ, Funk G (2007) Patient-reported factors associated with discontinuing employment following head and neck cancer treatment. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 133:464–470PubMedCrossRef
Metadata
Title
The head and neck symptom checklist©: an instrument to evaluate nutrition impact symptoms effect on energy intake and weight loss
Authors
Catherine Kubrak
Kärin Olson
Vickie E. Baracos
Publication date
01-11-2013
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 11/2013
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-1870-z

Other articles of this Issue 11/2013

Supportive Care in Cancer 11/2013 Go to the issue

Obituary

Dr. Yojiro Ota

Editorial

The MASCC/ISOO Mucositis Guidelines: dissemination and clinical impact

Original Article

Mindfulness-based cognitive group therapy for women with breast and gynecologic cancer: a pilot study to determine effectiveness and feasibility

Original Article

Predictors of satisfaction with treatment decision, decision-making preferences, and main treatment goals in patients with advanced cancer

Original Article

Phase 1 clinical trials in end-stage cancer: patient understanding of trial premises and motives for participation

Original Article

Synchronization of administrations of chemotherapy and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and frequency of associated healthcare visits
Webinar | 19-02-2024 | 17:30 (CET)

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on antibody–drug conjugates in cancer

Watch now

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are novel agents that have shown promise across multiple tumor types. Explore the current landscape of ADCs in breast and lung cancer with our experts, and gain insights into the mechanism of action, key clinical trials data, existing challenges, and future directions.

Dr. Véronique Diéras
Prof. Fabrice Barlesi
Developed by: Springer Medicine
Image Credits