The Effect of Active Nutritional Support On The Incidence Of Mucositis And Quality Of Life In Patients With Head And Neck Cancer Receiving Radiotherapy

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide with more than half a million new cases diagnosed each year . Because of the limitations imposed by the complicated anatomical structure of the head and neck to the operation, radiotherapy (RT) has become the main treatment method for HNC. However, damage to the normal tissue surrounding the tumor is inevitable. The most common manifestations of injury caused by RT are mucositis with the dry mouth, loss of taste, and dysphagia. The severe dysphagia leads to a definitive total impossibility of eating through the mouth in 20-30% of patients. Radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) is a common side effect after radiotherapy (RT) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. RIOM patients with severe pain have difficulty in eating, which increases the incidence of malnutrition and affects patients' quality of life and the process of RT.