title: High prevalence of cachexia in newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients: An exploratory study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In patients with cancer, weight loss can be related to simple starvation, disturbed metabolism, or both. In patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), weight loss often is attributed to simple starvation because the obvious oral symptoms are known to hinder dietary intake. In this population, cachexia remains a relatively unexplored phenomenon. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of cachexia and precachexia in patients with newly diagnosed HNC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-nine patients with newly diagnosed HNC were asked to participate in the prospective cohort study, from which only baseline data were used in the analyses. Measurements were performed 1 wk before cancer treatment, that is, cachexia status by Fearon's cancer-specific framework, dietary intake, muscle mass, muscle strength, and biochemical markers (C-reactive protein, albumin, hemoglobin, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α) were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data of 26 patients were included in the analyses (59% participation rate). Forty-two percent of the patients (n = 12) were classified as cachectic and 15% (n = 4) as precachectic. Muscle mass depletion was significantly more frequent in cachectic patients (67%) than in noncachectic patients (14%; P = 0.014). No differences in inflammatory markers were observed between cachectic and noncachectic patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This exploratory study suggested a high prevalence of cachexia (42%) in patients with newly diagnosed HNC. Although a large study is needed to further elucidate the role of cachexia in patients with HNC, the data presented here suggest that cachexia is a common problem in this patient population, which has therapeutic and prognostic implications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Research Group Healthy Ageing, Allied Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: ha.jager@pl.hanze.nl.
authors.forename: Harriët
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jager-Wittenaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Rehabilitation, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pieter U
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bijzet
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johannes A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Langendijk
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bernard F A M
authors.initials: BFAM
authors.lastname: van der Laan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan L N
authors.initials: JLN
authors.lastname: Roodenburg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002100:Cachexia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Cachexia; Head and neck cancer; Malnutrition