Einarsson S, Bokström A, Laurell G, Tiblom Ehrsson Y. Mapping the impact of malnutrition as defined by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition and nutrition impact symptoms on the possibility of returning to work after treatment for head and neck cancer.
Support Care Cancer 2023;
32:55. [PMID:
38133825 PMCID:
PMC10746764 DOI:
10.1007/s00520-023-08252-x]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE
This study aimed to investigate whether malnutrition or nutrition impact symptoms (NIS) affect the possibility of returning to work after treatment for head and neck cancer.
METHODS
Patients of working age with head and neck cancer were followed up from treatment initiation to 3 months (n = 238), 1 year (n = 182), and 2 years (n = 130) after treatment completion. The observed decrease in the number of patients over time was due to retirement, lack of follow-up, or death. Returning to work was dichotomised as yes or no. Malnutrition was diagnosed 7 weeks after treatment initiation using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. This time-point corresponds to the end of chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy (with or without prior surgery), except for patients who underwent exclusive surgery. NIS were scored on a Likert scale (1-5) at each follow-up using the Head and Neck Patient Symptom Checklist© (HNSC©). Nonparametric tests were used to analyse the ability of patients with/without malnutrition and high/low NIS scores to return to work.
RESULTS
At 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after treatment completion, 135/238 (56.7%), 49/182 (26.9%), and 23/130 (17.7%) patients had not returned to work. Patients with malnutrition at 7 weeks after treatment initiation were more likely to not return to work at 3 months than those without malnutrition, 70.5% compared to 47.1% (p < 0.001). At all three follow-up time-points, patients reporting high scores for a number of NIS had more often not returned to work, with this pattern being most distinct at 2 years.
CONCLUSION
Malnutrition according to the GLIM criteria at 7 weeks after treatment initiation and NIS assessed by the HNSC© at subsequent follow-ups were predictors of the return-to-work process after treatment for up to 2 years.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03343236 (date of registration 17/11/2017).
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