THE INFLUENCE OF SUPPORTIVE NUTRITIONAL THERAPY VIA PERCUTANEOUS ENDOSCOPICALLY GUIDED GASTROSTOMY ON THE QUALITY-OF-LIFE OF CANCER-PATIENTS

Between April 1987 and May 1990 a total of 212 consecutive patients wi th tumours in the head and neck region were admitted to a prospective study comparing planned prospective enteral nutrition via percutaneous endoscopically guided gastrostomy (PEG; n=47) and oral nutrition (n=1 34). The nutritional status (anthropometric and laboratory chemical pa rameters) and the quality-of-life index according to Padilla et al. [R es Nurs Health 6:117-126 (1983)] were determined prior to radiotherapy , 2, 4, 6 weeks later during radiotherapy and 6, 12 and 18 weeks after completion of radiotherapy. The quality-of-life score of the orally n ourished patients decreased quickly during radiotherapy and improved o nly slowly afterwards. Although PEG patients had a worse starting scor e, their quality-of-life index did not deteriorate during therapy (sta tistically significant difference between the two groups). The same ap plies to the nutritional status. These results show that an early and constant enteral nutrition by PEG can stabilize the nutritional state and-the quality of life of patients with tumours of the head and neck area during radiotherapy.