Top

Published in:

01-12-2018 | Original Article

Assessing taste and smell alterations in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy according to treatment

Authors: Javier Amézaga, Begoña Alfaro, Yolanda Ríos, Aitziber Larraioz, Gurutze Ugartemendia, Ander Urruticoechea, Itziar Tueros

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 12/2018

Abstract

Purpose

Taste and smell changes are common side effects in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments (CT). This can lead to a reduced food enjoyment and an inadequate nutrient intake with a high impact on nutritional status and quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the self-reported chemosensory alterations of patients undergoing chemotherapy according to CT type.

Methods

An observational study was conducted with 151 patients undergoing CT at Oncology Outpatient Unit from Onkologikoa Foundation. An interviewer-assisted questionnaire was designed to investigate chemosensory changes in patients undergoing CT.

Results

Seventy-six percent patients reported taste disorders and 45% smell changes. Xerostomia is the most frequent symptom reported by patients receiving chemotherapy in our study (63.6%), and it is strongly associated to bad taste in mouth (OR = 5.96; CI = 2.37–14.94; p value = 0.000) and taste loss (OR = 5.96; CI = 2.37–14.94; p value = 0.000). Anthracyclines, paclitaxel, carboplatin, and docetaxel were the CT agents producing the highest taste disturbance rates. Cisplatin and 5-Fluorouracil are the CT resulting in the lowest complaints. Logistic regression revealed statistically significant associations between taste loss and carboplatin and docetaxel (OR = 3.50; CI = 1.12–10.90; p value = 0.031) and cold hypersensitivity and oxaliplatin (OR = 12.14; CI = 4.18–35.25; p value = 0.000). Not only platin-based CT such as carboplatin produced dysgeusia, but also anthracyclines and paclitaxel treatments.

Conclusions

The better knowledge of taste and smell alterations according to CT type may provide valuable information for the design of new strategies to tackle CT side effects. It is important to take into account taste and smell dysfunctions and other alterations such as xerostomia together.

Available only for authorised users

Epstein JB, Barasch A (2010) Taste disorders in cancer patients: pathogenesis, and approach to assessment and management. Oral Oncol 46(2):77–81CrossRef

Porter SR, Fedele S, Habbab KM (2010) Taste dysfunction in head and neck malignancy. Oral Oncol 46(6):457–459CrossRef

Ruo Redda MG, Allis S (2006) Radiotherapy-induced taste impairment. Cancer Treat Rev 32(7):541–547CrossRef

Shi HB, Masuda M, Umezaki T, Kuratomi Y, Kumamoto Y, Yamamoto T, Komiyama S (2004) Irradiation impairment of umami taste in patients with head and neck cancer. Auris Nasus Larynx 31(4):401–406CrossRef

Maes A, Huygh I, Weltens C, Vandevelde G, Delaere P, Evers G, Van den Bogaert W (2002) De Gustibus: time scale of loss and recovery of tastes caused by radiotherapy. Radiother Oncol 63(2):195–201CrossRef

Yamashita H, Nakagawa K, Tago M, Nakamura N, Shiraishi K, Eda M, Nakata H, Nagamatsu N, Yokoyama R, Onimura M, Ohtomo K (2006) Taste dysfunction in patients receiving radiotherapy. Head Neck 28(6):508–516CrossRef

Boltong A, Keast R (2015) Chemosensory science in the context of cancer treatment: implications for patient care. Chemosens Percept 8(3):117–125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12078-015-9180-0 CrossRef

Wickham RS, Rehwaldt M, Kefer C, Shott S, Abbas K, Glynn-Tucker E, Potter C, Blendowski C (1999) Taste changes experienced by patients receiving chemotherapy. Oncol Nurs Forum 26(4):697–706PubMed

Hovan AJ, Williams PM, Stevenson-Moore P, Wahlin YB, Ohrn KE, Elting LS, Spijkervet FK, Brennan MT (2010) A systematic review of dysgeusia induced by cancer therapies. Support Care Cancer 18(8):1081–1087CrossRef

10.

Hong JH, Omur-Ozbek P, Stanek BT, Dietrich AM, Duncan SE, Lee YW, Lesser G (2009) Taste and odor abnormalities in cancer patients. J Support Oncol 7(2):58–65PubMed

11.

Belqaid K, Tishelman C, McGreevy J, Månsson-Brahme E, Orrevall Y, Wismer W, Bernhardson B-M (2016) A longitudinal study of changing characteristics of self-reported taste and smell alterations in patients treated for lung cancer. Eur J Oncol Nurs 21:232–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2015.10.009 CrossRefPubMed

12.

Pedersen AM, Bardow A, Jensen SB, Nauntofte B (2002) Saliva and gastrointestinal functions of taste, mastication, swallowing and digestion. Oral Dis 8(3):117–129CrossRef

13.

Comeau TB, Epstein JB, Migas C (2001) Taste and smell dysfunction in patients receiving chemotherapy: a review of current knowledge. Support Care Cancer 9(8):575–580CrossRef

14.

Jensen SB, Mouridsen HT, Reibel J, Brünner N, Nauntofte B (2008) Adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients induces temporary salivary gland hypofunction. Oral Oncol 44(2):162–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2007.01.015 CrossRefPubMed

15.

Boltong A, Keast R (2012) The influence of chemotherapy on taste perception and food hedonics: a systematic review. Cancer Treat Rev 38(2):152–163CrossRef

16.

Steinbach S, Hummel T, Bohner C, Berktold S, Hundt W, Kriner M, Heinrich P, Sommer H, Hanusch C, Prechtl A, Schmidt B, Bauerfeind I, Seck K, Jacobs VR, Schmalfeldt B, Harbeck N (2009) Qualitative and quantitative assessment of taste and smell changes in patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer or gynecologic malignancies. J Clin Oncol 27(11):1899–1905CrossRef

17.

Cohen J, Wakefield CE, Laing DG (2016) Smell and taste disorders resulting from cancer and chemotherapy. Curr Pharm Des 22(15):2253–2263CrossRef

18.

Barajas Galindo DE, Vidal-Casariego A, Calleja-Fernández A, Hernández-Moreno A, Pintor de la Maza B, Pedraza-Lorenzo M, Rodríguez-García MA, Ávila-Turcios DM, Alejo-Ramos M, Villar-Taibo R, Urioste-Fondo A, Cano-Rodríguez I, Ballesteros-Pomar MD (2017) Appetite disorders in cancer patients: impact on nutritional status and quality of life. Appetite 114:23–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.03.020 CrossRefPubMed

19.

Capra S, Ferguson M, Ried K (2001) Cancer: impact of nutrition intervention outcome—nutrition issues for patients. Nutrition 17(9):769–772. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-9007(01)00632-3 CrossRefPubMed

20.

Van Cutsem E, Arends J (2005) The causes and consequences of cancer-associated malnutrition. Eur J Oncol Nurs 9, Supplement 2:S51-S63. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2005.09.007 CrossRef

21.

Coa KI, Epstein JB, Ettinger D, Jatoi A, McManus K, Platek ME, Price W, Stewart M, Teknos TN, Moskowitz B (2015) The impact of cancer treatment on the diets and food preferences of patients receiving outpatient treatment. Nutr Cancer 67(2):339–353CrossRef

22.

Nordin S, Bramerson A, Murphy C, Bende M (2003) A Scandinavian adaptation of the Multi-Clinic Smell and Taste Questionnaire: evaluation of questions about olfaction. Acta Otolaryngol 123(4):536–542CrossRef

23.

Bernhardson BM, Olson K, Baracos VE, Wismer WV (2012) Reframing eating during chemotherapy in cancer patients with chemosensory alterations. Eur J Oncol Nurs 16(5):483–490CrossRef

24.

Gamper EM, Zabernigg A, Wintner LM, Giesinger JM, Oberguggenberger A, Kemmler G, Sperner-Unterweger B, Holzner B (2012) Coming to your senses: detecting taste and smell alterations in chemotherapy patients. A systematic review. J Pain Symptom Manag 44(6):880–895CrossRef

25.

Jensen SB, Mouridsen HT, Bergmann OJ, Reibel J, Brunner N, Nauntofte B (2008) Oral mucosal lesions, microbial changes, and taste disturbances induced by adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 106(2):217–226CrossRef

26.

Sorokowska A, Schriever VA, Gudziol V, Hummel C, Hahner A, Iannilli E, Sinding C, Aziz M, Seo HS, Negoias S, Hummel T (2015) Changes of olfactory abilities in relation to age: odor identification in more than 1400 people aged 4 to 80 years. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 272(8):1937–1944CrossRef

27.

Rawson NE (2006) Olfactory loss in aging. Sci Aging Knowl Environ 8 (5)CrossRef

28.

Stevens JC, Cain WS (1993) Changes in taste and flavor in aging. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 33(1):27–37CrossRef

29.

Gamper EM, Giesinger JM, Oberguggenberger A, Kemmler G, Wintner LM, Gattringer K, Sperner-Unterweger B, Holzner B, Zabernigg A (2012) Taste alterations in breast and gynaecological cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: prevalence, course of severity, and quality of life correlates. Acta Oncol 51(4):490–496CrossRef

30.

Zabernigg A, Gamper E-M, Giesinger JM, Rumpold G, Kemmler G, Gattringer K, Sperner-Unterweger B, Holzner B (2010) Taste alterations in Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: a neglected side effect? Oncologist 15(8):913–920. https://doi.org/10.1634/theoncologist.2009-0333 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

31.

Descoeur J, Pereira V, Pizzoccaro A, Francois A, Ling B, Maffre V, Couette B, Busserolles J, Courteix C, Noel J, Lazdunski M, Eschalier A, Authier N, Bourinet E (2011) Oxaliplatin-induced cold hypersensitivity is due to remodelling of ion channel expression in nociceptors. EMBO Mol Med 3(5):266–278. https://doi.org/10.1002/emmm.201100134 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

32.

IJpma I, Renken RJ, Ter Horst GJ, Reyners AK (2015) Metallic taste in cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. Cancer Treat Rev 41(2):179–186CrossRef

33.

Lyckholm L, Heddinger SP, Parker G, Coyne PJ, Ramakrishnan V, Smith TJ, Henkin RI (2012) A randomized, placebo controlled trial of oral zinc for chemotherapy-related taste and smell disorders. J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother 26(2):111–114CrossRef

34.

Strasser F, Demmer R, Bohme C, Schmitz SF, Thuerlimann B, Cerny T, Gillessen S (2008) Prevention of docetaxel- or paclitaxel-associated taste alterations in cancer patients with oral glutamine: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Oncologist 13(3):337–346CrossRef

Title: Assessing taste and smell alterations in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy according to treatment
Authors: Javier Amézaga
Begoña Alfaro
Yolanda Ríos
Aitziber Larraioz
Gurutze Ugartemendia
Ander Urruticoechea
Itziar Tueros
Publication date: 01-12-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 12/2018
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4277-z

Webinar | 19-02-2024 | 17:30 (CET)

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on antibody–drug conjugates in cancer

Watch now

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are novel agents that have shown promise across multiple tumor types. Explore the current landscape of ADCs in breast and lung cancer with our experts, and gain insights into the mechanism of action, key clinical trials data, existing challenges, and future directions.

Dr. Véronique Diéras

Prof. Fabrice Barlesi

Developed by: Springer Medicine

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 12/2018

Reflections on the implementation of screening for distress (sixth vital sign) in Canada: key lessons learned

Incidence of nausea and vomiting in breast cancer patients treated with anthracycline plus cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy regimens in Italy: NAVY observational study

Coping strategies, trajectories, and their associations with patient-reported outcomes among women with ovarian cancer

Infectious complications in adults undergoing intensive chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia in 2001–2005 using the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group AML201 protocols

Family interactions in childhood leukemia: an exploratory descriptive study

Psychosocial consequences of diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer and evaluation of the need for a lung cancer specific instrument using focus group methodology

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on antibody–drug conjugates in cancer