NUTRITIONAL, MICROBIOLOGICAL, AND THERAPEUTIC FACTORS RELATED TO MUCOSITIS IN HEAD AND NECK CANCER PATIENTS: A COHORT STUDY.

Purpose: the objective was to demonstrate if treatment modality, nutritional status and oropharyngeal flora contribute to the development of mucositis in radiotherapy- treated head and neck cancer.
Methods: single-cohort study of patients with head and neck cancer (H&N) in which radiotherapy was indicated. Nutritional status was evaluated using SGA, BMI, and FFMI. A buccal smear was performed before radiotherapy for cultivation of bacteria and yeasts. Mucositis was evaluated using the WHO grades. Relative risk (RR) and its 95% CI were calculated.
Results: the study included 35 patients, 74.3% males, 63.8 (9.9) years of age, and 34.3% malnourished. The diagnoses included larynx (40.0%), oral (25.7%), and pharynx cancer (11.4%). Treatment comprised 66.0 Gy of radiation, chemotherapy (60.0%), and surgery (57.1%). Bacteria were found in 28.6%, including Staphylococcus aureus (8.6%) and Escherichia coli (8.6%). Yeasts (Candida spp.) were found in 35.3%. Mucositis was more frequent in patients with definitive radiotherapy [100% vs. 65%, p = 0.01; RR = 1.54 (CI95% 1.12 to 2.12)]. Neither SGA nor BMI or FFMI were related to the development or severity of mucositis. Positive cultures for bacteria before radiotherapy were related to severe mucositis [44.4% vs. 12%, p = 0.039; RR = 4.17 (CI95% 1.22 to 14.24)], but there was no relationship with the presence of yeasts. Previous surgery was not associated with the appearance of the studied strains of bacteria.
Conclusion: bacterial colonization of the oropharynx prior to radiotherapy may be a factor for severe mucositis in H&N patients.
(Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.)