Physicians at Mosaic Life Care wanted to explore reasons why patients with head and neck cancers are more or less likely to lose weight during treatment. Significant weight loss can cause treatment delays and impact overall treatment effectiveness.
Review the evidence-based guidelines for treatment and nutritional support for patients treated at Mosaic Life Care between 2013-2015 for head and neck cancers.
- Factors found to be not significant – tobacco use status, chemotherapy regimen selected, treatment site, lymphedema referrals, feeding tube placement, radiation dose, speech/swallow evaluation.
- Financial difficulty and age were found to be significant predictors of weight loss.
- With the significant relationship between age and weight loss, as well as the interaction between the financial distress management tool and weight loss, the impact of socioeconomic status on weight loss was further investigated.
- Patients covered by Medicare were found to have better overall nutritional status than those without coverage.
- Limitations: it is difficult to ascertain nutritional status from just weight. Although weight loss is important, it is not the only factor.
- Younger patients tend to lose more weight than older patients
- Our distress management tool was highly correlated to weight loss.
- Must stress the importance of:
- Financial resources and support
- Having a dedicated social worker at the cancer center
- Importance of charitable funds and supplements
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If you have been recently diagnosed with cancer, contact us at (816) 271-1301 to schedule an appointment in any of our four locations.
