Search Results (2)

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the number of adjuvant chemotherapy cycles on taste alteration, energy intake, and life quality. This study was conducted with 87 adult patients with newly diagnosed early-stage cancer, treated by surgery and receiving adjuvant chemotherapy (two groups received <4 and ≥4 cycles). Taste alteration was assessed with the Chemotherapy-induced Taste Alteration Scale, and life quality with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy. Patients who received ≥4 cycles showed significantly higher “Decline in Basic Taste”, “Phantogeusia and Parageusia”, and “General Taste Alterations” subscale scores at the end of treatment (d = 0.945, d = 1.200, d = 0.928, respectively; p < 0.001) and 3 months later (d = 0.515, d = 0.605, d = 0.985, respectively; p < 0.05). Quality of life scale total score and “physical well-being” and “functional well-being” subscale scores were significantly lower in patients received ≥4 cycle at the end of treatment (d = 0.590, d = 0.500, d = 0.621, respectively; p < 0.05) and 3 months later (d = 0.500, d = 0.516, d = 0.562, respectively; p < 0.05) but improved within 6 months. Significant correlations were found between taste alterations and recent weight loss, affordability of energy requirements, and decreased quality of life. A higher number of adjuvant chemotherapy cycles was associated with greater taste alterations, nutritional challenges and lower quality of life, especially in the early post-treatment. These changes are often transient and tend to return to baseline levels within 3–6 months after treatment. Full article

Background/Objectives: A retrospective study was conducted to clarify the clinical characteristics of taste disorder cases at the Department of Oral Medicine of Hokkaido University Hospital. The subjects were 322 taste disorder patients (86 male, 236 female, average age: 66 (13.1) years, mean duration of disorder: 15.2 (20.0) months) who were treated at our department from 2007 to 2018. Methods: Associations between symptoms and classification were examined. Results: When looking at the taste symptoms, 154 cases of quantitative taste disorder were observed as taste loss, abscission, and dissociative taste disorder, and 168 cases of qualitative taste disorder were observed as spontaneous abnormal taste, dysgeusia, and maltaste. There was no relationship between sex and quantitative/qualitative taste disorders at V = 0.08. When looking at the causes of taste disorders, the majority were psychogenic, idiopathic, and oral diseases. Conclusions: Approximately 20% of taste disorders are caused by oral diseases, so it should be noted that oral diseases such as oral candidiasis and xerostomia can cause taste disorders and that many of them can be improved with oral treatment. Full article