Mapping the impact of malnutrition as defined by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition and nutrition impact symptoms on the possibility of returning to work after treatment for head and neck cancer
(2024) In Supportive Care in Cancer 32(1).- Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether malnutrition or nutrition impact symptoms (NIS) affect the possibility of returning to work after treatment for head and neck cancer. Methods: Patients of working age with head and neck cancer were followed up from treatment initiation to 3 months (n = 238), 1 year (n = 182), and 2 years (n = 130) after treatment completion. The observed decrease in the number of patients over time was due to retirement, lack of follow-up, or death. Returning to work was dichotomised as yes or no. Malnutrition was diagnosed 7 weeks after treatment initiation using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. This time-point corresponds to the end of chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy... (More)
Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether malnutrition or nutrition impact symptoms (NIS) affect the possibility of returning to work after treatment for head and neck cancer. Methods: Patients of working age with head and neck cancer were followed up from treatment initiation to 3 months (n = 238), 1 year (n = 182), and 2 years (n = 130) after treatment completion. The observed decrease in the number of patients over time was due to retirement, lack of follow-up, or death. Returning to work was dichotomised as yes or no. Malnutrition was diagnosed 7 weeks after treatment initiation using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. This time-point corresponds to the end of chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy (with or without prior surgery), except for patients who underwent exclusive surgery. NIS were scored on a Likert scale (1–5) at each follow-up using the Head and Neck Patient Symptom Checklist© (HNSC©). Nonparametric tests were used to analyse the ability of patients with/without malnutrition and high/low NIS scores to return to work. Results: At 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after treatment completion, 135/238 (56.7%), 49/182 (26.9%), and 23/130 (17.7%) patients had not returned to work. Patients with malnutrition at 7 weeks after treatment initiation were more likely to not return to work at 3 months than those without malnutrition, 70.5% compared to 47.1% (p < 0.001). At all three follow-up time-points, patients reporting high scores for a number of NIS had more often not returned to work, with this pattern being most distinct at 2 years. Conclusion: Malnutrition according to the GLIM criteria at 7 weeks after treatment initiation and NIS assessed by the HNSC© at subsequent follow-ups were predictors of the return-to-work process after treatment for up to 2 years. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03343236 (date of registration 17/11/2017).
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- author
- Einarsson, Sandra ; Bokström, Anna LU ; Laurell, Göran and Tiblom Ehrsson, Ylva
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- GLIM, Head neck cancer, Nutrition impact symptoms, Return to work
- in
- Supportive Care in Cancer
- volume
- 32
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 55
- publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:38133825
- scopus:85180424888
- ISSN
- 0941-4355
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00520-023-08252-x
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 05b0752b-773d-44a4-941c-4fea869cd2de
- date added to LUP
- 2025-01-16 11:23:39
- date last changed
- 2025-07-04 01:45:04
@article{05b0752b-773d-44a4-941c-4fea869cd2de,
abstract = {{<p>Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether malnutrition or nutrition impact symptoms (NIS) affect the possibility of returning to work after treatment for head and neck cancer. Methods: Patients of working age with head and neck cancer were followed up from treatment initiation to 3 months (n = 238), 1 year (n = 182), and 2 years (n = 130) after treatment completion. The observed decrease in the number of patients over time was due to retirement, lack of follow-up, or death. Returning to work was dichotomised as yes or no. Malnutrition was diagnosed 7 weeks after treatment initiation using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. This time-point corresponds to the end of chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy (with or without prior surgery), except for patients who underwent exclusive surgery. NIS were scored on a Likert scale (1–5) at each follow-up using the Head and Neck Patient Symptom Checklist<sup>©</sup> (HNSC<sup>©</sup>). Nonparametric tests were used to analyse the ability of patients with/without malnutrition and high/low NIS scores to return to work. Results: At 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after treatment completion, 135/238 (56.7%), 49/182 (26.9%), and 23/130 (17.7%) patients had not returned to work. Patients with malnutrition at 7 weeks after treatment initiation were more likely to not return to work at 3 months than those without malnutrition, 70.5% compared to 47.1% (p < 0.001). At all three follow-up time-points, patients reporting high scores for a number of NIS had more often not returned to work, with this pattern being most distinct at 2 years. Conclusion: Malnutrition according to the GLIM criteria at 7 weeks after treatment initiation and NIS assessed by the HNSC<sup>©</sup> at subsequent follow-ups were predictors of the return-to-work process after treatment for up to 2 years. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03343236 (date of registration 17/11/2017).</p>}},
author = {{Einarsson, Sandra and Bokström, Anna and Laurell, Göran and Tiblom Ehrsson, Ylva}},
issn = {{0941-4355}},
keywords = {{GLIM; Head neck cancer; Nutrition impact symptoms; Return to work}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Springer Science and Business Media B.V.}},
series = {{Supportive Care in Cancer}},
title = {{Mapping the impact of malnutrition as defined by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition and nutrition impact symptoms on the possibility of returning to work after treatment for head and neck cancer}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-023-08252-x}},
doi = {{10.1007/s00520-023-08252-x}},
volume = {{32}},
year = {{2024}},
}