ArticleJournal of medical radiation sciences2023
Routine Prophylactic Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy in Head and Neck Cancers with Bilateral Neck Irradiation: A Regional Cancer Experience in New Zealand.
Article in Journal of medical radiation sciences, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- Nutritional management and oral health-related outcomes in head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy: a systematic review.BMC oral health · 2026Pooled it
- Comparison of Prophylactic Versus Reactive Tube Feeding Approaches on Weight Loss and Unplanned Hospital Admissions in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Receiving Chemoradiotherapy.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Article
- Revalidation of Proactive Gastrostomy Tube Placement Guidelines for Head and Neck Cancer Patients Receiving Helical Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionPatients with head and neck cancer (HNC) are particularly susceptible to dysphagia and malnutrition. Prophylactic percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement is a method used to manage these issues, but practices vary among institutions. At Midcentral District Health Board, patients receiving radiotherapy to the primary and bilateral neck regions routinely undergo prophylactic PEG placement. This study aimed to review the nutritional and PEG-related outcomes of these patients.
methodsRecords of 49 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Their demographics, tumour and treatment characteristics were recorded. We evaluated patient weight loss, non-elective hospitalisation, treatment interruption rates, PEG-related complications, usage, dependency rates and late dysphagia rates.
resultsOropharyngeal cancers were the most common primary site (61.2%), and 83.7% of patients received primary chemoradiotherapy. Mean weight loss at treatment completion was 5.6% ± 4.3 (4.6 kg ± 3.9). The rate of non-elective hospitalisations was 26.5%, and only 2% of patients had treatment interruptions. Peristomal infection was the most frequent PEG complication (20.4%). No PEG-related mortality was reported. Median duration of PEG dependency was 97 days (14-388 days). Two patients remained permanently dependent at 3 years due to grade 3 dysphagia, and six patients experienced grade ≥2 late dysphagia.
conclusionOur study showed that prophylactic PEG tube placement was relatively safe, with a high utilisation rate and low long-term dependence on PEG tubes after treatment completion. However, complications related to their use should be addressed through a multidisciplinary approach, with careful assessment by clinicians. The weight loss and hospitalisation rates observed were consistent with earlier studies that utilised prophylactic PEG tubes.
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