P323 - THE IMPACT OF CONCOMITANT RADIO-CHEMOTHERAPY ON WEIGHT LOSS IN PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCER.

P323

THE IMPACT OF CONCOMITANT RADIO-CHEMOTHERAPY ON WEIGHT LOSS IN PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCER.

H. Moubarik^1,2, A. Majdi^1,3, S. Harbaj^1,2, A. Lachgar^1,3, K. Nouni^1,2, H. Elkacemi^1,2, T. Kebdani^1,2,*, H. Khalid^2,4

¹Radiotherapy, National Institute of Oncology, Rabat, Morocco, ²Faculty of medicine and pharmacy, Medicine, Rabat, Morocco, Rabat, Morocco, ³Radiotherapy, Faculty of medicine and pharmacy, Medicine, Rabat, Morocco, ⁴ National Institute of Oncology, Rabat, Morocco, Rabat, Morocco

Rationale: Concomitant radio-chemotherapy (RCT) is a first-line treatment for head and neck cancers, combining radiotherapy and chemotherapy to improve cure rates. However, this treatment can lead to significant weight loss, often associated with dietary and nutritional disturbances, which can affect patients' overall health and quality of life.

Methods: This retrospective study involved 80 patients (55 men, 25 women) with a mean age of 56 years, treated between January 2021 and December 2024 at the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat. Among them, 45 (56%) had nasopharyngeal cancer, 20 (25%) had laryngeal cancer, 10 (12%) had oral cavity cancer, and 5 (7%) had hypopharyngeal cancer. All patients received curative treatment combining radiotherapy (60-70 Gy) and cisplatin-based chemotherapy (40 mg/m²/week). Weight loss was measured between the first week of irradiation and the end of treatment, and patients were categorized into three groups based on weight loss: less than 3 kg, between 3-8 kg, and more than 8 kg.

Results: The results showed that 85% of patients experienced weight loss during treatment. Among them, 47.5% lost more than 8 kg, 42.5% lost between 3-8 kg, and 12.5% lost less than 3 kg. Conversely, 5% maintained a stable weight, while 10% gained an average of 2.3 kg. Data analysis revealed that weight loss was more pronounced in patients with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers compared to those with nasopharyngeal or oral cavity cancers. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy had no significant impact on weight loss

Conclusion: significant weight loss in patients treated with RCT highlights the need for early nutritional assessment and continuous follow-up during treatment. Targeted nutritional care for high-risk patients is recommended to improve their quality of life.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared