What is it about?
Role of prophylactic gastrostomy in head and neck cancer patients receiving chemoradiotherapy remains controversial. This study aim to determine benefit of prophylactic gastrostomy in terms of improve cancer treatment continuation, nutritional status and quality of life.
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Why is it important?
We defined role of prophylactic gastrostomy in Thai head and neck cancer patients which mostly refuse any form of feeding tube even it is really needed. All patients who receive chemoradiotherapy at head and neck area experience some degree of mucositis and subsequent malnutrition and lead to treatment interruption. We demonstrated benefit of prophylactic gastrostomy in terms of improvement of nutritional status, while treatment interruption and quality of life were not different compared to control group.
Perspectives
To our knowledge, this study is the first prospective study to assess role of prophylactic gastrostomy in Thai head and neck cancer patients. This might be the practical information to use for risk-benefit discussion before making decision for this procedure.
Suthinee Ithimakin
Mahidol University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A prospective study comparing prophylactic gastrostomy to nutritional counselling with a therapeutic feeding tube if required in head and neck cancer patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy in Thai real-world practice, Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, March 2016, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/jhn.12377.
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