Research Information System
Nutrition and Cancer, vol.76, no.9, pp.831-839, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
Background: This study aimed to investigate disease-related risk factors, malnutrition status, and life quality of individuals receiving treatment for head and neck cancer. Methods: This study which was done at a private hospital for 1 year, was comprised of 42 individuals, with 21 head and neck cancer patients (PG) and 21 controls (CG). Anthropometric measurements were taken, and biochemical parameters were analyzed. The NRS-2002 test was applied to assess malnutrition status. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Head and Neck Module (EORTC-QLQ-H&N-35) were used to determine individuals’ life quality. Results: Smokers were 10.264 times more likely to develop the disease than nonsmokers. When serum albumin level increased by 1 unit, the risk of the disease decreased by 32.8%. Results indicated that patients with a risk of malnutrition exhibited statistically significant levels of pain, verbal communication, social-eating, sexuality, limited mouth-opening capacity, and weight-loss compared to those without a risk of malnutrition (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Malnutrition status of individuals was found to affect quality of life. Smoking and low serum albumin levels have been found to be risk factors for head and neck cancer.