[Head and neck cancer patients included at home enteral nutrition by tube].
OBJECTIVE
To know characteristics and the patients' evolution with head and neck cancer who received radiotherapy treatment and they were included at a home enteral nutrition (HEN) by feeding tube programme. To analyse the weight evolution according to the start of HEN before or after radiotherapy.


METHODS
Observational study of tube feeding patients with head and neck cancer who were included in HEN programme in our hospital for two years. Variables analysed: gender, age, Body Mass Index (BMI), Karnofsky Index (KI), reason for nutritional support, type of feeding tube, formula used and prescribed caloric contribution, necessity to change access device and HEN days.


RESULTS
62 patients were studied (77.4% men; 22.6% women). Age 64 +/- 10.1 years (rang: 39-90). The dysphagia was the main cause to begin enteral nutrition by feeding tube in these patients. Naso-gastric tube was prevalence (67.7%). The most used formula was polymeric hypercaloric diet with a mean of caloric contribution of 1,629 +/- 267.09 kcal/day. Overall, there was a weight loss in all patients during the study period time. However, patients who began the HEN by feeding tube before the radiotherapy treatment, the BMI did not decrease.


CONCLUSIONS
All patients who began feeding tube before oncological treatment didn't lose weight for the period of study.
Cots Seignot
I
I
Unidad de Soporte Nutricional, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebrón, Barcelona, España. icots@vhebron.net
Cárdenas Lagranja
G
G
Puiggròs Llop
C
C
Chicharro Serrano
L
L
Pérez-Portabella Maristany
C
C
Planas Vilà
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001835:Body Weight; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged