Randomized phase 3 trial of impact of nutritional interventions on quality of life in patients receiving radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Maltnutrition is common among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) undergoing radiotherapy and is associated with diminished quality of life (QOL). A randomized phase 3 trial at Nanchang Medical College (China) evaluated the impact of individualized nutritional interventions (NI) on QOL in patients receiving intensity-modulated radiotherapy for NPC. The trial included 249 NPC patients who were randomized to NI (n=124) or routine dietary care (SoC; n=125). Both cohorts had male predominance (NI 75.8%; SoC 73.6%) with identical median age of 52 years. NI started during the preradiotherapy clinical assessment and was maintained until radiotherapy completion. The primary endpoint was global health status (GHS) score at the end of radiotherapy. At this timepoint, the NI group had a significantly higher mean GHS score compared with the SoC group (mean difference 21.0 points; p<0.001). The NI group showed significantly less weight loss and lower BMI decline, with clinically relevant weight loss (≥ 5%) occurring in 50% and 68% of patients in the NI and SoC groups, respectively. The authors conclude that invidualized NI significantly improve QOL in patients undergoing radiotherapy for NPC.