title: Taste and odor abnormalities in cancer patients.
abstract: Taste and odor abnormalities are major daily concerns for patients with cancer. This review summarizes the common taste and odor disorders of cancer patients and provides insight into their possible causes. Cancer and its therapy, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, may directly alter and damage taste and odor perception.These alterations affect the daily quality of life of these patients and may lead to patient malnutrition and, in severe cases, significant morbidity. Cancer patients experience decreases in sensitivity to taste and odor, as well as unpleasant metallic and bitter sensations. Complaints relating to taste and odor are not usually addressed, as few, if any, effective interventions are available for these problems. Understanding the types and causes of taste and odor dysfunctions will enable researchers and physicians to develop treatments for these conditions and thereby improve patient quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA. jhhong@vt.edu
authors.forename: Jae Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Pinar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Omur-Ozbek
authors.forename: Brian T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Stanek
authors.forename: Andrea M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: Yong Woo
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lesser
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents