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ABSTRACT Background Patients with head and neck cancer frequently experience malnutrition. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of nutritional status on prognosis and its association with treatment modalities. Methods This retrospective study included 706 patients with head and neck cancer diagnosed between 2004 and 2012. The effects of pretreatment body mass index (BMI) on overall survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model. Results BMI ranged from 11.6 to 38.0 kg/m2 (median, 21.5) and was a prognostic factor for survival, independent of primary site, and tumor stage. The 5-year survival rates for underweight, normal, and overweight groups were 32.2%, 62.7%, and 73.5%, respectively. The hazard ratios of BMI in the surgery, chemoradiation, and radiation groups were 0.95, 0.91, and 0.79, respectively, and the latter two were statistically significant. Conclusion The impact of BMI is determined by the types of cancer treatment. Pretreatment BMI should be considered while deciding treatment. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: 1518-1523, 2015 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusions: Comorbidities as well as T classification were the primary determinants for the nutritional status of patients with head and neck cancer. Objectives: We aimed to elucidate the underlying conditions of malnutrition in patients with head and neck cancer. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 726 patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer between 2004 and 2013. Associations between malnutrition and clinical parameters were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Median body mass index was 21.5 (range 11.6-38.0). According to World Health Organization criteria, the nutritional status of these patients was classified into four groups: underweight (18%), normal (63%), overweight (17%), and obese (1%). Comorbidities were detected in 40% of patients. Multivariate analysis revealed the following factors to be independent factors associated with malnutrition: advanced T stage, metachronous cancer, collagen disease, gastrointestinal disease, and pulmonary disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]