Malnutrition assessment in patients with cancers of the head and neck: A call to action and consensus

Purpose of researchA state of the science review to assess how nutritional status and malnutrition are defined by the community of researchers studying head & neck cancer (HNC) patients.Principal resultsIn 117 publications, nutritional status was described diversely, ranging from merely one to all six of the following features: weight loss, body composition, quantity/type of food intake, symptoms impacting oral intake, inflammation and altered metabolism. Methods of assessment of each feature were inconsistent. Cancer- and treatment-related symptoms impacting oral intake were a prominent theme. Metabolic changes potentially related to weight loss and efficacy of nutritional therapy were rarely described (<15% of articles). There were 24 different explicit definitions for malnutrition.ConclusionConsensus is needed regarding the criteria to adequately describe HNC-associated malnutrition. Standardization of assessments will permit aggregation of data, and integration into clinical practice–specifically, development of consensus criteria for implementation and termination of nutrition therapies.