title: Eating problems and weight loss for patients with head and neck cancer: a chart review from diagnosis until one year after treatment.
abstract: This descriptive study aimed to examine the occurrence and treatment of eating problems, and their causes and consequences during the trajectory of care for patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy. The method used was a review of patient records, conducted by means of an audit instrument developed for the study. The instrument audits demographic data and documented eating problems, their causes and consequences, and undertaken interventions in medical and nursing records from diagnosis until 1 year after completion of treatment. Data were collected prior to treatment, each week during radiotherapy and at the follow-up visits to the physician 1, 6, and 12 months after completion of treatment. The results show that eating problems were common before treatment started, and at the end of radiotherapy every patient suffered from eating problems. One year after treatment the majority still had eating problems. Weight loss occurred early during radiotherapy and became aggravated after treatment, but was not treated to an adequate extent. Implications of this study are that nutritional interventions must be initiated before the treatment starts and they need to be ongoing after completion of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division for Health and Caring Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden. maria.larsson@kau.se
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hedelin
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Elsy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Athlin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000855:Anorexia / Q000209:etiology; D015984:Causality; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000209:etiology; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009731:Nursing Audit; D009737:Nursing Records; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D018529:Nutritional Support; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D015431:Weight Loss