title: Taste alterations in breast and gynaecological cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: prevalence, course of severity, and quality of life correlates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Taste alterations (TAs) are frequently reported by chemotherapy patients. However, research on this topic is very scarce. The etiologies of TAs are not fully known and prevalences may vary across tumour types and chemotherapy regimens. The aim of the present study was to longitudinally investigate TAs in patients with breast cancer or gynaecological cancers receiving chemotherapy, and to provide expected values for TAs for these patient populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and nine cancer patients (32.1% gynaecological cancer, 67.9% breast cancer) receiving chemotherapy at the Department for Internal Medicine of Kufstein County Hospital were consecutively included in the study. At each visit the Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core30 and a screening scale for TAs, consisting of two validated questions taken from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer item bank was administered. Statistical analysis was performed using mixed-effect models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of TAs in breast cancer and gynaecological cancer patients receiving chemotherapy was high (76.1%). There were differences in the extent of TAs as well as in their time course across treatment groups. The lowest TAs were found in breast cancer and gynaecological cancer patients treated with gemcitabine. The highest TAs were found in breast cancer patients treated with epirubicin/docetaxel/capecitabine. The steepest increase of TAs was found in patients treated with epirubicin/docetaxel. Moreover, significant associations between TAs and appetite loss as well as fatigue were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that TAs are an issue in breast and gynaecological cancer patients receiving different chemotherapy regimens. There is a need for a more systematic investigation of TAs in chemotherapy patients in general as well as the need to address this issue in clinical practice.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Innsbruck Medical University, Austria.
authors: Eva-Maria
authors: EM
authors: Gamper
authors: Johannes Maria
authors: JM
authors: Giesinger
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Oberguggenberger
authors: Georg
authors: G
authors: Kemmler
authors: Lisa Maria
authors: LM
authors: Wintner
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Gattringer
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Sperner-Unterweger
authors: Bernhard
authors: B
authors: Holzner
authors: August
authors: A
authors: Zabernigg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents