Nutrition counseling combined with head and neck rehabilitation exercises can enhance outcomes among nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in southern China: a prospective study in an epidemic area.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

More than two thirds of new of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cases occurring in the east and southeast parts of Asia. As a consequence, the development of intervention programs that can educate and assist patients of NPC in adopting and maintaining long-term behavioral changes to prevent further progression of the disease and improve quality of life represents a continuing need.

METHODS:

Patients diagnosed with NPC (n=141) completed chronic disease self-management questionnaires (CDSMP) before, immediately after, and 3, 6, and 12 months after receiving primary cancer treatment. An independent-samples T test was used to compare mean changes in chronic disease self-management (CDSM) items between the intervention group and control group.

RESULTS:

There was no difference between the two groups at baseline. Patients who received an intervention demonstrated a significant improvement in fatigue and shortness of breath after treatment. They also demonstrated significant improvements in weekly minutes of aerobic exercise and stretching/strengthening exercise. These advantages lessened slightly with elapsed time.

CONCLUSIONS:

For NPC patients, nutrition counseling combined with head and neck rehabilitation exercises can greatly reduce fatigue and shortness of breath and greatly increase the use of stretching/strengthening and aerobic exercise 3 months after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

• Authors: Dongfang Su, Yan He, Liping Chen, Jianmei Li, Lijuan Zhang, Linmin Chen, Wenqiong Li, Wen Hu, Cong Li, Yuying Fan
• Journal: Annals of palliative medicine (Ann Palliat Med) Vol. 9 Issue 3 Pg. 1152-1163 (May 2020) ISSN: 2224-5839 [Electronic] China
• PMID: 32498530 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• China
• Counseling
• Epidemics
• Exercise Therapy
• Humans
• Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
• Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms (therapy)
• Prospective Studies
• Quality of Life