The impact of HPV status on weight loss and feeding tube use in oropharyngeal carcinoma

Patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) are at nutritional risk due to the effects of the tumour itself and the toxicities of the treatment modalities used [1 –3]. It has been well established that malnutrition and weight loss is common in head and neck cancer (HNC), and critical weight loss (CWL) (defined as ≥5% loss in one month [4,5]), has been shown to affect outcomes and survival [6–8]. The epidemiology of OPC has changed in the last decade wit h the increasing incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated disease [9].

Source: Oral Oncology - February 20, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Belinda Vangelov, Damian P. Kotevski, Janet R. Williams, Robert I. Smee Source Type: research