The intervention group participates in a targeted rehabilitation program 'NUTRI-HAB' with a focus on eating problem after treatment for head and neck cancer. The program comprises:

• a five day residential stay with patient education
• a two day follow-up residential stay after 3 months
• two telephone consultations with clinical dietitian between the two residential stays.

The control group receives no intervention other than usual care in the study period.

After 3 months, the control group will be offered participation in the same residential rehabilitation program as the intervention group parcitipated in.

The rehabilitation program is a coordinated multidisciplinary effort involving several specialists e.g. clinical dietitians, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists (responsible for dysphagia management in Denmark), psychologists and social workers.

The program includes group sessions with patient education on how to handle the different aspects of living with eating problems and other late effects. Practical kitchen exercises, physical activity sessions and instruction in swallowing training are included. Individual counseling sessions with clinical dietitians and other health professionals (e.g. physicians) are offered depending on participants' needs.

Participants stay at the premises and all meals throughout the day are served in the dining room or in the café. Foods of different textures and flavors are served to inspire participants and to allow them to experiment.

Between the initial stay and follow-up participants are contacted twice by a clinical dietitian.

Body weight will be measured with a calibrated scale at baseline and at follow up. Measurements will be performed by trained health professionals and standardised protocols will be followed. The change in percent will be calculated for each individual participant and be used as the primary outcome.

Health-related quality of life (QOL) is measured using the generic EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire for cancer patients. Questionnaires will be scored according to EORTC's scoring manual, and changes from baseline to follow-up in the QOL-subscales will be calculated for each individual participant.

The questionnaire consist of 30 items that are further divided into 15 subscales/items: a global health status/QOL scale; the functional scales: physical functioning, role functioning, emotional functioning, cognitive functioning, social functioning and the symptom scales/items: fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, dyspnoea, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhoea, financial difficulties.

All scales and single-item measures range in score from 0 to 100. A high score represents a higher response level. Thus a high score for a functional scale or global QOL represents a high level of functioning/QOL whereas a high score on a symptom scale represents a high level of symptoms.