Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) usually emerges as a set of signs and symptoms that, either alone or in combination with standard treatment, may lead to malnutrition and weight loss.
Methods: This study evaluated patients with SCCHN before day 0 and 30 days after the end of treatment, with/without tumor resection. Each individual patient underwent analyses of body composition and resting metabolic rate, as well as assessment of serum glucose, insulin, leptin, adiponectin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-1β, and insulin sensitivity.
Results: There was body mass loss during treatment and significant reduction in body fat and free fat mass. Early nutritional monitoring and tumor resection before treatment led to a better nutritional status and reduced inflammatory state.
Conclusion: Early nutritional monitoring and resection of the tumor by surgery may be important factors for patients to better tolerate treatment.
Keywords: cachexia; cancer; head and neck; indirect calorimetry; metabolism.
© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.