title: Malnutrition assessment in patients with cancers of the head and neck: a call to action and consensus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A state of the science review to assess how nutritional status and malnutrition are defined by the community of researchers studying head & neck cancer (HNC) patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 117 publications, nutritional status was described diversely, ranging from merely one to all six of the following features: weight loss, body composition, quantity/type of food intake, symptoms impacting oral intake, inflammation and altered metabolism. Methods of assessment of each feature were inconsistent. Cancer- and treatment-related symptoms impacting oral intake were a prominent theme. Metabolic changes potentially related to weight loss and efficacy of nutritional therapy were rarely described (<15% of articles). There were 24 different explicit definitions for malnutrition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consensus is needed regarding the criteria to adequately describe HNC-associated malnutrition. Standardization of assessments will permit aggregation of data, and integration into clinical practice-specifically, development of consensus criteria for implementation and termination of nutrition therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 1Z2, Canada; Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand.
authors.forename: Tanadech
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dechaphunkul
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alberda
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: Vickie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baracos
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gramlich
mesh_terms: D001823:Body Composition; D004032:Diet; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D044623:Nutrition Therapy; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015431:Weight Loss
keywords: Assessment; Cachexia; Head and neck cancer; Malnutrition; Nutrition; Nutrition support