Perioperative enteral nutrition and quality of life of severely malnourished head and neck cancer patients: a randomized clinical trial

Background and aims: This study evaluated the use of perioperative nutritional support on Quality of Life (QOL) in malnourished head and neck cancer patients undergoing surgery. Methods: 49 Malnourished (weight loss >10%) head and neck cancer patients who were included in a nutrition intervention trial were randomized to receive either no preoperative and standard postoperative tube-feeding (group I), standard preoperative and postoperative tube-feeding (group II) or arginine-supplemented preoperative and postoperative tube-feeding (group III). Of these patients, 31 completed a full QOL assessment on the first day of preoperative nutritional support, one day before surgery, and 6 months after surgery. Both a disease-specific (EORTC QLQ-C30) and a generic questionnaire (COOP–WONCA) were used. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Kruskal-Wallis test were applied for testing differences in scores between groups. Results: Between baseline and the day before surgery, both preoperatively fed groups revealed a positive change for the dimensions physical and emotional functioning and dyspnea (with significance in group II, P=0.050,0.031,0.045 respectively). Group III showed a negative change in appetite (P=0.049). Between baseline and 6 months after surgery, there were no differences between group I and both pre-fed groups. There were no differences in favour of group III compared to group II. Conclusion: Enteral nutrition improves QOL of severely malnourished head and neck cancer patients in the period preceding surgery. No benefit of preoperative enteral feeding on QOL could be demonstrated 6 months after surgery.