title: Assessment of nutritional status and quality of life in patients treated for head and neck cancer.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify tools for the assessment of nutritional status in head and neck cancer patients, to evaluate the impact of malnutrition on therapeutic management and quality of life and to propose a simple screening approach adapted to routine clinical practice. The authors conducted a review of the literature to identify tools for the assessment of nutritional status in head and neck cancer patients published in French and English. Articles were obtained from the PubMed database and from the references of these articles and selected journals, using the keywords: "nutritional assessment", and "head and neck" and "cancer". Anthropometric indices, laboratory parameters, dietary intake assessment, clinical scores and nutritional risk scores used in patients with head and neck cancers are presented. The relevance of these tools in clinical practice and in research is discussed, together with the links between nutritional status and quality of life. This article is designed to help teams involved in the management of patients with head and neck cancer to choose the most appropriate tools for assessment of nutritional status according to their resources and their objectives.
authors.affiliation: Inserm U1086, Cancers et Préventions, avenue de la Côte-de-Nacre, 14000 Caen, France; Université de Caen Basse-Normandie EA 3936, Esplanade de la Paix, BP 5186, 14032 Caen cedex 05, France; Centre Régional de Lutte contre le Cancer François-Baclesse, 3, avenue du Général-Harris, 14000 Caen, France. Electronic address: virginie.prevost@unicaen.fr.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Prevost
authors.affiliation: Unité Transversale de Nutrition Clinique, CHU, avenue de la Côte-de-Nacre, 14000 Caen, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Joubert
authors.affiliation: Inserm U1086, Cancers et Préventions, avenue de la Côte-de-Nacre, 14000 Caen, France; Université de Caen Basse-Normandie EA 3936, Esplanade de la Paix, BP 5186, 14032 Caen cedex 05, France; Centre Régional de Lutte contre le Cancer François-Baclesse, 3, avenue du Général-Harris, 14000 Caen, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Heutte
authors.affiliation: Inserm U1086, Cancers et Préventions, avenue de la Côte-de-Nacre, 14000 Caen, France; Service ORL et Chirurgie Cervico-Faciale, CHU, avenue de la Côte-de-Nacre, 14000 Caen, France; CERReV EA3918, Esplanade de la Paix, 14000 Caen, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Babin
mesh_terms: D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011788:Quality of Life
keywords: Cancer; Head and neck; Malnutrition; Nutritional assessment; Quality of life