Reevaluation of the Merits and Demerits of Prophylactic Gastrostomy in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

Abstract

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is one of the standard treatment strategies for patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Prophylactic percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (pPEG) has been reported to be useful for nutritional intervention during CRT. On the other hand, disadvantages such as complications of gastrostomy itself and long-term PEG dependence have also been reported. In the present study, we conducted a retrospective review of the data of HNSCC cases treated with CRT and re-evaluate the merits and demerits of pPEG.