Effect of nutritional status before radiotherapy on radiation‐induced acute toxicities in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundTo investigate the effect of nutritional status on radiation‐induced acute toxicities in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients before radiotherapy.MethodsNutritional status of 228 patients with NPC who received intensity‐modulated radiotherapy was retrospectively analyzed by modified nutrition index (m‐NI). Cumulative grading score of six common acute toxicities were defined as total score for acute toxicities.ResultsM‐NI ≤6 is a risk factor for xerostomia (p = 0.016, OR = 0.208, 95% CI 0.058–0.743), oral mucositis (p = 0.016, OR = 0.287, 95% CI 0.104–0.793), dysgeusia (p = 0.001, OR = 0.028, 95% CI 0.004–0.217), and dysphagia (p = 0.015, OR = 0.251, 95% CI 0.083–0.764) as well in patients with NPC. Total score of radiation‐induced acute toxicities of patients with malnutrition (13.6 ± 1.7) was significantly higher than that of patients with normal nutrition (12.0 ± 2.4) (t = −5.464, p < 0.001).ConclusionsNPC patients with malnutrition before radiotherapy develop more serious dysgeusia, oral mucositis, dysphagia, and xerostomia after intensity‐modulated radiotherapy.