IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE IN LOCALLY ADVANCED OR ADVANCED HEAD AND NECK CANCER WITH CURCUMIN ADD-ON TO STANDARD NUTRITION SUPPORT: A SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF THE CURCHEXIA STUDY

Background: Patients with head and neck cancer often suffer from cancer anorexia and cachexia syndrome (CAS), which severely impacts their quality of life (QoL). The primary CurChexia study showed that curcumin improved muscle mass. Objectives: This pre-planned secondary analysis evaluated the effect of curcumin add-on therapy on the QoL of these patients. Methods: In this secondary analysis of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, twenty patients with locally advanced or advanced head and neck cancer undergoing treatment and diagnosed with CAS were randomized to receive either 4,000 mg of curcumin daily or a placebo, in addition to standard nutritional support for eight weeks. QoL was assessed at baseline, week 4, and week 8 using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. A linear mixed-effects model was used to analyze changes in QoL scores over time between the two groups. A retrospective power calculation was conducted for key QoL domains. Results: The curcumin add-on group showed statistically significant improvements compared to the control group in physical functioning (p = 0.001), emotional functioning (p = 0.023), appetite loss (p = 0.001), and pain (p = 0.033). No significant differences were observed in global health status or other functional and symptom scales. The study was adequately powered (>80%) to detect the observed significant differences, but was underpowered for non-significant outcomes like global health status. Conclusion: In patients with locally advanced or advanced head and neck cancer experiencing cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome (CAS) during treatment, the addition of a daily 4,000 mg dose of curcumin to standard nutritional intervention significantly improves quality of life and body composition. These findings suggest that curcumin may serve as an effective pharmaconutrient, providing both clinical benefits and supportive care.