Uncovering the Long-Term Impact of Oropharyngeal Cancer and Dysphagia on Dietary Quality and Nutrition Among Veteran Cancer Survivors: The U-DINE Study
Abstract
This application for the Behavioral Health Science Award, “Uncovering The Long-Term Impact of Oropharyngeal Cancer and Dysphagia on Dietary Quality and Nutrition Among Veteran Cancer Survivors (UDINE Study),” addresses Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) Topic “Area Head and Neck Cancer.” Healthy eating patterns are a key behavioral aspect influencing health of cancer patients and survivors during crucial stages of survivorship. For example, deficiencies of healthy foods and essential nutrients during treatment may worsen treatment response, intensify side effects, and prolong treatment time and hospitalization. After cancer treatment is ended, maintaining a healthy diet is crucial to reduce the chance of second cancers and other chronic diseases, including heart disease. This is particularly important for oropharynx cancer patients, who often experience severe complications during or after treatment that may substantially restrict their diets. In fact, swallowing difficulty is a side effect affecting one out of two oropharynx cancer patients during treatment, and about 10% experience profound loss of swallowing ability many years after treatment ends. Due to recent improvements to cancer therapies and changes to risk factors related to oropharynx cancer, this group of survivors is expected to live many years following treatment. Therefore, helping cancer patients and survivors make healthy food choices, regardless of their level of swallowing ability, is likely to have a major impact on patient health and wellbeing from the moment of cancer diagnosis and long afterwards. Currently there is no science-based program designed to help patients and survivors of oropharynx cancer to consume a healthy, nutritionally adequate diet that takes into account their individual needs and potential restrictions. Little is known about what dietary deficiencies they may experience or how this important risk factor may vary according to cancer stage, type of treatment, or swallowing ability. It is also unknown how the relationship between swallowing difficulties and dietary insufficiencies may change through different stages of cancer survivorship. Without this knowledge, clinicians and health professionals cannot properly guide oropharynx cancer patients to improve their overall health through making healthy changes to what they eat. The proposed project will address these fundamental questions in two different groups of patients with oropharynx cancer, Veterans and non-Veterans. Our findings will inform dietary interventions that improve patient outcomes, cardiometabolic health, and overall longevity in a growing population of cancer survivors among active duty Service members, Veterans, and the general public who is expected to live many years following cancer treatment. Ultimately, these impacts will save lives. Our study aligns with Focus Area Mission Readiness through its assessment of gaps in quality of life and survivorship that can directly affect the health and well-being of Veterans, Service members, their beneficiaries, and the general American public. Oropharynx cancer has unique characteristics in military/Veteran populations due to common risk factors like tobacco usage. Veterans are also more likely to experience poor nutrition in general and have a less robust social safety net. These features highlight the importance of studying nutritional factors in Veteran survivors. In deploying the protocols we develop through this study across 20 Veterans health centers within 1 year of study completion, our efforts could lead to rapid and significant impacts on the care of Veteran patients with and survivors of oropharynx cancer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110243
Entities
People
- Marcia Otto
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston