Sarcopenia in Head-and-Neck Cancer: A Significant Problem in Patients Receiving Intensity Modulated (IMRT) and Image Guided Radiation (IGRT) as Assessed by a Validated CT-Based Assessment Tool

Nutritional Deficiencies in Radiotherapy-Treated Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Nutritional deficiencies (malnutrition, cachexia, sarcopenia, and unfavorable changes in the body composition) developing as a side effect of radiotherapy (RT) currently represents a significant but still inaccurately studied clinical problem in cancer patients. The incidence of malnutrition observed in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients in oncological radiology departments can reach 80%. The presence of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and cachexia is associated with an unfavorable prognosis of the disease, higher mortality, and deterioration of the quality of life. Therefore, it is necessary to identify patients with a high risk of both metabolic syndromes. However, the number of studies investigating potential predictive markers for the mentioned purposes is still significantly limited. This literature review summarizes the incidence of nutritional deficiencies in HNC patients prior to therapy and after the commencement of RT, and presents recent perspectives for the prediction of unfavorable nutritional changes developing as a result of applied RT.

Locally advanced head and neck cancer in either the older or the vulnerable adult: Making the case for a team-based, "gero-centric" approach

Multidisciplinary, team-based care goes hand in hand with geriatric oncology paradigms for caring for older adults with cancer. Team-based care was the central theme for the 2015 SIOG Annual Meeting. Team-based approaches to the evaluation and management of older adults with different cancer types, including head and neck cancer, were presented. This review aims to summarize the salient points of that presentation, including a synthesis of recent multidisciplinary, "gero-centric" research efforts to improve the care for older adults with more advanced stages of head and neck cancer.