New Delhi: Malnutrition is one of the most common challenges in head and neck cancer (HNC), often due to pain, difficulty in chewing or swallowing, altered taste, dry mouth, and treatment-related side effects. Many patients begin losing weight even before diagnosis, and without timely intervention, nutritional decline can seriously affect treatment outcomes, recovery, and survival. Malnutrition causes loss of muscle mass, impacts immunity, and delays healing of wounds. It also makes one susceptible to contracting infections and having a poor quality of life. This is why doctors always emphasise the need for nutritional diagnosis early on, in a bid to facilitate better and faster healing.

Ms. Anam Golandaz, Senior Dietitian, Head & Neck Cancer Institute of India, said, “As part of the treatment plan, a proper nutritional assessment should be done based on metrics like body weight, muscle mass, dietary intake, and swallowing ability, all of which help in the planning of diets and texture modification of their food and help doctors chalk out a supplement plan as and when needed.” Access to proper nutrition also supports faster healing of wounds and helps survivors cope better with radiation. Protein intake is a crucial factor that helps cancer survivors who have undergone surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy maintain their energy levels and muscle mass, and it also aids in faster recovery. For patients experiencing swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), it becomes hard to swallow food and water, and thus a specialized therapy is needed.”

The expert went on to talk about how protein intake affects cancer patients. Adequate protein intake is especially critical in head and neck cancer patients. Protein helps preserve muscle mass, supports wound healing after surgery, improves immunity, and enables better tolerance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in certain nutritional supplements and foods, have shown benefits in reducing inflammation, supporting weight maintenance, and improving treatment tolerance. In addition, antioxidants and essential micronutrients, when provided to correct deficiencies, play an important role in immune function and overall recovery. While planning a patient’s diet, dietitians carefully consider these nutrients and tailor intake according to the patient’s clinical condition.

In multidisciplinary hospitals where access to advanced comprehensive cancer care is easily available, diet and nutrition are viewed as an integral part of recovery. The nutrition and dietetics department works closely with the patient’s medical team to provide an individualized diet and nutrition plan and dietary counselling. One that is tailor-made to aid fast recovery and quick healing. Patients suffering from dysphagia need to be given special care and attention, and their diet has to be modified according to the texture they can easily swallow. Recognizing nutrition as a medical priority empowers patients to face treatment with strength, resilience, and improved outcomes.