Head and neck cancer patients are more at high risk for malnutrition before, during, and after the cancer treatment procedures due to the proximity of key anatomical structures that are essential for mastication and deglutition. A multidisciplinary approach beginning with preliminary nutritional screening, comprehensive assessment, and nutritional supportive care is mandatory for all head and neck cancer patients. Such interventions not only improve quality of life but also increase the survival rate of the head and neck cancer patients. This updated narrative review focused on the recent updates of the various steps involved in the nutritional management of head and neck cancer patients, like pre-treatment nutritional care, screening and assessment, and nutritional interventions during and after cancer therapy with updates on nanoformulations of nutraceuticals. We reviewed all published literature between 2014 and 2024 about nutrition in head and neck cancer patients from major databases such as Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed. In addition to the nutritional parameters that should be considered during the nutritional assessment of patients with head and neck cancer, this review underscores the therapeutic efficacy of nutraceuticals in treating this disease. This narrative review added a note on recent updates on the use of a combination of novel nanoformulated nutraceuticals with chemotherapeutic agents, which were known for the improved drug delivery, such as targeting the neoplastic cells and thus preventing adverse effects.
