What Factors Affect Changes in Body Composition and Swallowing Function in Patients Hospitalized for Oral Cancer Surgery?

PURPOSE: There are few studies about sarcopenia before and after surgery for oral cancer. Therefore, we examined body composition during hospitalization and factors affecting weight loss, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) reduction, and swallowing function at discharge in this patient group. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective survey was conducted at Tokyo Medical and Dental University Dental Hospital for patients who underwent primary surgery for oral cancer and reconstruction using free flaps. We compared body weight, SMI, grip strength, and walking speed at admission and discharge. We also examined factors affecting weight loss and SMI reduction and the functional oral intake scale (FOIS) score at discharge. RESULTS: There were 26 patients that we could survey during the period. As a result of Wilcoxon’s signed-rank test, body weight, SMI, and grip strength were significantly reduced during hospitalization, but no reduction was noted for sarcopenia. As a result of multiple regression analysis, postoperative chemoradiotherapy was a risk factor for weight loss, reduced SMI, and low FOIS score at discharge. CONCLUSION: Postoperative chemoradiotherapy is a risk factor for weight loss, muscle mass loss, and dysphagia at discharge, and chemoradiotherapy may affect rather than an invasion of surgery. After surgery, besides follow-ups for cancer, oral cancer patients should be followed up to assess dysphagia, undernutrition, and sarcopenia.