title: Olfactory function in oncologic hospice patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Normal sense of smell is important for well being. Although cancer is reported to be associated with impaired olfactory function, very few studies have directly evaluated this effect.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a quantitative analysis of olfactory status in 42 hospice patients in a hospital-based hospice facility. Olfaction was assessed using the "Sniffin' Sticks" (Burghart Medical Technology, Tinsdaler, Germany) kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five patients (60%) were found to be hyposmic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study results indicate the high incidence of decreased olfactory function among hospice patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel. arkadiyak@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Arkadi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yakirevitch
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bercovici
authors.forename: Lela
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Migirov
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adunsky
authors.forename: M Raphael
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pfeffer
authors.forename: Jona
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kronenberg
authors.forename: Yoav P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Talmi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006738:Hospices; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology