Faculty Articles

Effects of age and nutritional status on surgical outcomes in head and neck cancer

Publication Title

Annals of Surgery

ISSN

1528-1140

Publication Date

3-1-1988

Abstract

Older and younger malnourished and well-nourished head and neck cancer patients scheduled for surgery were studied. More of the young (75%) compared with the old (58%) underwent curative surgery, and only the old with lower clinical states of cancer were selected. When data on those undergoing surgery were analyzed in regard to older and younger malnourished and well-nourished men, the malnourished old had the poorest surgical outcomes of any group, with significantly more complications and morbidity rates. The well-nourished old had outcomes that did not differ from younger patients. On further examination, 60% of the young malnourished and only 20% of the old malnourished received preoperative enteral or parenteral nutritional support. Findings suggest that more attention to the needs of the older malnourished patients could improve surgical outcomes.

Volume

207

Issue

3

First Page

267

Last Page

273

Disciplines

Medical Specialties | Medicine and Health Sciences | Osteopathic Medicine and Osteopathy

This document is currently not available here.

Peer Reviewed

Find in your library

Share

COinS