ABSTRACT BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Malnutrition and cachexia have a negative impact on the course of treatment in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Good evidence

exists for the practical use of the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) parameter phase angle (PA) for the evaluation of nutritional and overall health status in cancer patients. In the

present study, two hypotheses were tested: that PA can distinguish between malnutrition and cachexia; in non-cachectic patients, pre-treatment PA is predictive for cachexia development

during (chemo)radiation. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In 55 head and neck cancer patients, nutritional status was determined by the NRS-2002, anthropometric, laboratory tests and BIA before and after

post-treatment proportions were 16.4%, 45.4% and 38.2%, respectively. Well-nourished patients had a higher pre-treatment mean PA value compared with the others (_P_=0.045). The risk of

malnutrition/cachexia increased by 1.71 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10–2.66) per mean PA decrease by one unit (_P_=0.018). In 47 initially non-cachectic patients, PA failed to show any

predictive value for cachexia (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.578, 95% CI 0.385–0.772, _P_>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PA did not distinguish between malnourished and

cachectic patients with HNSCC, and pre-treatment PA did not predict cachexia development during (chemo)radiation. Nevertheless, PA seems to be a good marker of nutritional status in HNSCC

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support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS BODY COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS ACCORDING TO CLINICAL STAGE IN PATIENTS WITH LOCALLY ADVANCED CERVICAL CANCER Article 04 November 2020

EVALUATION OF A PROTOCOL TO DETECT MALNUTRITION AND PROVIDE NUTRITIONAL CARE FOR CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY Article Open access 03 December 2020 WEIGHT LOSS, PHASE ANGLE, AND

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_Zdrav Vestn_ 2005; 74: 233–238. Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Radiation Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana,

Ljubljana, Slovenia P Stegel & P Strojan * Clinical Nutrition Unit, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia N R Kozjek & B A Brumen * Faculty of Medicine, University of

Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia P Strojan Authors * P Stegel View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * N R Kozjek View author publications You can

also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * B A Brumen View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * P Strojan View author publications

You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to P Strojan. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no conflict of

interest. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Stegel, P., Kozjek, N., Brumen, B. _et al._ Bioelectrical impedance phase angle as indicator

and predictor of cachexia in head and neck cancer patients treated with (chemo)radiotherapy. _Eur J Clin Nutr_ 70, 602–606 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.13 Download citation *

Received: 16 October 2015 * Revised: 29 December 2015 * Accepted: 28 January 2016 * Published: 24 February 2016 * Issue Date: May 2016 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.13 SHARE THIS

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