ASPO Abstracts
Head and neck cancer survivors' views of chronic nutrition impact symptom burden after radiation: a qualitative study
Category: Survivorship & Health Outcomes/Comparative Effectiveness Research
Conference Year: 2020
Abstract Body:
Head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors may face an array of nutrition impact symptoms (NIS) including dysphagia, xerostomia, taste alterations and difficulty chewing that occur as a result of tumor location and treatment with radiation. Few qualitative studies have assessed the chronic impact of NIS on
everyday life. The aim of this study was to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the lived experience
of chronic NIS burden among HNC survivors. Methods: Between March 2018 and May 2019, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted among 31 HNC survivors. An interview guide was utilized to consider themes developed based on a review of the literature and the researchers' clinical experience with the HNC population. There were probes within the interview for participants to raise unanticipated issues and flexibility to follow such leads. A single researcher conducted the interviews to maintain consistency in data collection. Interviews lasted approximately 1 hour and were audio recorded. All interview transcripts were professionally transcribed verbatim and checked for accuracy to ensure a complete account of participants' responses. Two researchers independently reviewed all transcripts to identify themes using code-based thematic qualitative content analysis.Results: Four categories of themes emerged from the interview data: symptom presence, dietary preferences, eating adjustments, and addressing symptoms. The most common symptoms were dysphagia, xerostomia, taste alterations and bothered chewing. Survivors avoided citrus fruits, dry foods, raw vegetables, sweets, and meats and preferred soft, moist foods, spices or seasonings, sauces, and gravies. Eating adjustments were described as increased time to consume meals, cutting food into smaller pieces, consuming less food, consuming more fluid, and reporting dietary pattern changes pre-to-post
treatment. All survivors experienced one or more chronic NIS and nearly 40% were unaware of the
severity of long-term symptoms.Conclusion: The results of this study provide a unique qualitative insight into the lived experience of HNC chronic NIS burden and have relevance for healthcare professionals working in this patient population. HNC survivors may require additional symptom monitoring and man
Keywords: survivorship, symptoms, head and neck cancer, qualitative