THE ROLE OF NUTRITIONAL COUNSELLING AND ORAL NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF MALNUTRITION IN HEAD AND NECK CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING RADIOTHERAPY.

Mrs.APEKSHA PATRIKAR; Dr. Abhishek Shrivastava

Volume : VII, Issue : III, March - 2018

THE ROLE OF NUTRITIONAL COUNSELLING AND ORAL NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF MALNUTRITION IN HEAD AND NECK CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING RADIOTHERAPY.

Mrs. Apeksha Patrikar, Dr. Abhishek Shrivastava

Abstract :

INTRODUCTION: Cancer cachexia increases morbidity and mortality among patients. Proper nutritional counselling and supplements may improve the quality of life. AIM: The aim of the study is to determine the effect of dietary counselling and oral supplements on weight loss in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy .MATERIAL AND METHOD: This is hospital based prospective observational study on 60 patients of head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. . Data were recorded regarding weight, height, PG-SGA score, form of nutrition support and haematological investigations. RESULT: The mean age of the sample was 47.35 years (23-70 years). 38.3% of the patients assessed with the PG-SGA were considered well-nourished and 61.6% were moderately malnourished. CONCLUSION: Early and intensive individualised dietary counselling by a dietitian produces clinically relevant effects in terms of decreasing weight loss and malnutrition in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy.