LEARNING OUTCOME: To determine if enteral feedings maintained throughout radiation therapy unproved treatment adherence and stabilized weight in head and neck cancer patients.Nutrition support during radiation therapy may improve treatment tolerance and thus survival for head and neck cancer patients. Methods: A chart review was conducted to determine if tube fed (TF, n=19) patients had better medical outcomes (radiation treatment adherence, weight change) than non- tube fed (non-TF, n=19) patients. The TF and non-TF patients were matched for radiation dosage and cancer staging. For treatment adherence outcome, two categories were formed by comparing missed treatment days to days available for treatment (i.e., no weekend days): adherence (0-2 days missed) and non-adherence (3-18 days missed). For the weight change outcome, percent change in weight was calculated from pre-radiation to post radiation weight to form two categories: weight loss (2-26% loss) and weight stable (0-17% increase). Results: In chi-square analyses, significantly fewer patients in the TF group than the non-TF group fell into non-adherence (χ 2 =3.89. p<.05) and weight loss (χ 2 =4.05, p<.05) categories. Summary: We conclude that early initiation of enteral nutrition in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy decreases need for treatment breaks and subsequently could improve treatment efficacy.