Association of Treatment-Related Weight Changes With Functional Impairments, Public Visits, and Future Life Perspectives in Oral Cancer: A Multicenter Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate treatment-related weight changes in oral cancer and examine their association with functional impairments, public visits, and future life perspectives. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from 1359 surgically treated patients were retrospectively analyzed in a multicenter rehabilitation study conducted by the German-Austrian-Swiss Cooperative Group on Tumors of the Maxillofacial Region (DÖSAK). Weight changes were self-reported after treatment using a standardized questionnaire. Associations with tumor stage, surgical treatment, functional impairments, public visits, and future life perspectives were analyzed. RESULTS: Weight loss was significantly associated with advanced tumor stage (p = 0.001), nodal metastasis (p < 0.001), and radical neck dissection (p = 0.038). Weight differences alone did not change patients' public visits compared with the past (p < 0.001). However, weight loss combined with functional impairments in eating (p < 0.001), speaking (p < 0.001), and physical appearance (p < 0.001) was associated with avoidance of public visits. Stable weight was associated with favorable future life perspectives, whereas weight loss was associated with negative future perspectives (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Early identification of treatment-related weight changes may help identify patients at risk of functional impairments and adverse psychosocial outcomes, supporting timely nutritional interventions in oral cancer care.