Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41811519›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2026

Long-term follow-up study on nutritional problems and health-related quality of life among head and neck cancer survivors more than 5 years after diagnosis.

Camilla Wallmander, Hedda Haugen Cange, Ewa Silander, Helen Larsson, Malin Börjesson, Leif Johansson, Ingvar Bosaeus, Eva Hammerlid

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Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Camilla WallmanderDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. Camilla.wallmander@vgregion.se.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-1431-1051
Hedda Haugen CangeDepartment of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Ewa SilanderDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Helen LarssonDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Malin BörjessonDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Södra Älvsborg Hospital Group, Region Västra Götaland, Borås, Sweden.
Leif JohanssonDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Skaraborgs Hospital Group, Region Västra Götaland, Skövde, Sweden.
Ingvar BosaeusDepartment of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8287-6310
Eva HammerlidDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1813-108X

Funding

the Local Research and Development Council Gothenburg and Södra Bohuslän VGFOUGSB-969810the Operational Healthcare Committee, Region Västra Götaland in Sweden VGFOUREG-931870the Swedish state under the agreement between the Swedish government and the county councils Västra Götaland Region, the ALF agreement ALFGBG-965352
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeFew studies have evaluated the long-term effects of head and neck cancer (HNC) and its treatment. Therefore, the objective was to study nutritional rehabilitation needs by assessing nutritional problems, dietary adjustments, muscle mass, muscle strength, physical performance, prevalence of sarcopenia, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among long-term HNC survivors.

methodsThis cross-sectional study included HNC survivors more than 5 years after diagnosis. Nutritional status, sarcopenia, and physical performance were assessed through questions about dietary adjustments, muscle mass (bioelectrical impedance analysis), grip strength, and maximum walking speed measurements. HRQoL and nutrition impact symptoms (NISs) were assessed using quality of life questionnaires from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), QLQ-C30 and QLQ-HN35, and were compared with reference values from a normal Swedish population.

resultsAlmost 80% of 114 participating survivors needed dietary adjustments, most commonly extra liquid with meals and/or moist food and increased time to consume meals. Relatively few patients had reduced muscle mass and low BMI, and none had sarcopenia. Compared with reference values, survivors reported severe HNC-specific symptoms on the EORTC QLQ-HN35. Survivors with the most problems swallowing solid food had a higher NIS burden and more problems with role and social functioning.

conclusionsIn this cross-sectional study, many long-term HNC survivors experienced chronic NISs and had worse HRQoL than a matched reference group from the normal population. The findings suggest that survivors with nutritional problems may have adapted and used dietary adjustments to facilitate food intake. For some survivors, nutritional rehabilitation may be needed long after treatment has ended.

Indexed as

Cancer SurvivorsHead and Neck NeoplasmsNutrition DisordersQuality of LifeAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedMuscle StrengthNutritional StatusSarcopeniaSurveys and QuestionnairesDietary adjustmentsHead and neck cancerHealth-related quality of lifeLong-term survivorsMuscle massNutrition impact symptoms

Identifiers

PMID41811519
PMCPMC12979278

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.