Since mucositis represents a clinical continuum which differs between patients, it is difficult to assess before-hand which patients will be at risk to develop severe mucositis during the course of radiotherapy. In today's practice, patients undergoing radiation therapy of the H&N will undergo feeding gastrostomy by the treating physician prior to the treatment if he will anticipate severe mucositis, based on the radiation fields, the chemotherapy used, and his prior experience. Some of these procedures were eventually unnecessary. In cases where gastrostomy was not placed a priory, the common practice is monitoring the patients during treatment. If their weight loss exceeds 10% of their initial body weight, a feeding gastrostomy is recommended (at this time point, the mucositis is usually severe, and many patients need admission for fluid administration and semi-urgent procedure).