title: Nutritional parameters for patients with head and neck cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Determination of the optimal nutritional parameter to provide useful information for the individual patient and assessing the impact of nutritional status have on the prognosis of head and neck cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Firstly a retrospective study analysed the outcome of 110 patients in relation to initial weight loss and weight loss at the end of radiotherapy. A second study investigated the changing bioimpedance (BIA) data of 27 survivors and 39 patients who died between their first and last measurement during nutritional therapy (at least four weeks).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A critical initial weight loss is 10 kg or more at the point of diagnosis. At the end of radiotherapy the body mass reduction should be less than 15 kg. Raw data of BIA reflect the changing nutritional status at the end of life. We observed a stabilized phase angle in survivors (4.7° to 5.2°) whereas patients who died exhibited a significant lower phase angle (4.6° to 3.7°, p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prognosis of head and neck cancer patients is highly related to their nutritional status. Specific nutritional anamnesis (initial weight loss, total weight loss, body mass index) and additional biophysical measurements such as BIA are recommended to monitor the individual status during the follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head Neck Surgery, Südharz-Hospital, Nordhausen, Germany. jens.buentzel@shk-ndh.de
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Büntzel
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krauß
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Büntzel
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Küttner
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fröhlich
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Oehler
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glatzel
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wackes
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Putziger
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Micke
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kisters
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mücke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D015996:Survival Rate