Patient factors contributing to gastrostomy retention in head and neck
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Prioritising patient related factors leading to the retention of gastrostomy tubes for over one year in patients with Head and Neck cancer.
IRAS ID
57262
Contact name
Vinidh Paleri
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle Joint Research Office
Research summary
Patients’ with head and neck cancer are often malnourished at presentation. This can be due to the effects of the tumour itself or some of the lifestyle factors which can be associated with the development of head and neck cancer such as heavy smoking and high alcohol intake. These patients require nutritional supplementation prior to, during and frequently after their treatment. Prolonged nutritional support (>one year) following treatment is not unusual in this group of patients. Swallowing can remain impaired for the remainder of the patient’s life following treatment for head and neck cancer and some patients will never meet their nutritional requirements without supplementation.
Supplemental feeding can be delivered via a nasogastric tube (a tube which is passed through the nose and down into the stomach) or via a gastrostomy tube (a tube directly inserted into the stomach through the abdominal wall). The former is used for shorter term supplementation and the latter when supplementation is felt to be required in the longer term.
Although patients receive rehabilitative support with swallowing, several tumour, treatment and patient related factors lead to a need for prolonged supplementatation. There is an evidence base investigating the tumour and treatment related factors, but none address the patient factors that may contribute to this.
We aim to investigate the significant factors associated with patients requiring a gastrostomy tube for longer than a year following the treatment of head and neck cancer. Patients’ will prioritise those factors they feel are the most significant with respect to their swallowing and thus the retention of their gastrostomy tube.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NE/0108
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jun 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion