Authors (including presenting author) :
MAK SY, KONG, WS, TO PL, CHIU SY, CHAN HY, HO WM, KAN MS
Affiliation :
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital
Introduction :
Nutritional status in children with cancer is an important prognostic factor. Clinical growth chart assessments have commenced in pediatric oncology unit since 2015. Interventions were given according to patients' weight-for-height percentile.
Objectives :
The objective of this study is to review nutritional status of children with cancer so as to improve existing nutrition interventions.
Methodology :
This is a prospective study of nutritional status and management of active oncology cases diagnosed in January 2015 - June 2017. Age, gender, body weight, body height, body mass index and nutritional interventions at initial diagnosis, three-months and six-months post treatment were recorded. Data were categorized and analyzed.
Result & Outcome :
Sixty-seven patients were reviewed. Patients with leukemia (43.3%), lymphoma (13.4%) and brain tumour (13.4%) accounted for majority of the active oncology cases. Nutritional advice was given by nurses to all patients upon diagnosis. Majority of the patients' (74.6%) growth curves were below or equal to 50th percentile, and 17 patients (25.4%) were underweight initially. Almost half of the patients (40.3%) experienced a drop on growth percentile at third month of treatment. Dietician consultations were offered to 40 patients (59.7%), and 37 patients (55.2%) received milk supplement. Two patients (3%) required ryles' tube feeding. Around one third of the patients (30%) received total parental nutrition. Five patients (7.5%) with three of them having head and neck tumours received extra oromotor training from occupational and speech therapists. Most patients were able to maintain (41.8%) or improve (26.9%) their growth curve at 6 months. Nutritional assessment needs to be done regularly to determine if there were any deterioration in nutritional status. Patients with head and neck tumours are usually at high risk for malnutrition should be prioritized and follow-up throughout treatment. Nutritional support should be a major part of supportive care to prevent or reverse malnutrition and increase well-being of children with cancer.
Co-location with:
