title: A longitudinal study of changing characteristics of self-reported taste and smell alterations in patients treated for lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Taste and smell alterations (TSAs) are common symptoms in patients with cancer that may interfere with nutritional intake and quality of life. In this study, we explore and describe how characteristics of self-reported TSAs change in individuals with lung cancer over time using a multiple case study approach to present longitudinal data from individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients under investigation for lung cancer were recruited from one university hospital in Sweden. The 52 patients providing data eligible for the analyses presented here were those treated for primary lung cancer with three measurement time-points, of which one was prior to treatment and two after treatment start. Four self-report instruments were used for data collection. These included the Taste and Smell Survey, used to characterize TSAs for each individual at the three time-points and instruments measuring nutritional status, symptom burden and well-being. Three patient cases are described in detail to illustrate variation in individual experiences of TSAs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The characteristics of the TSAs experienced changed over time for many of the individuals in this study, including those undergoing surgery or stereotactic radiotherapy. The case descriptions show how the individual experiences of TSAs and the impact on daily life of these symptoms not only depend on TSA characteristics, but may be influenced by contextual factors, e.g. other symptoms and life situation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that healthcare professionals need to consider the variation in characteristics of TSAs among and within patients over time, and be attentive to individual experiences of TSAs.
authors.affiliation: Medical Management Centre, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: kerstin.belqaid@ki.se.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Belqaid
authors.affiliation: Medical Management Centre, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: carol.tishelman@ki.se.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tishelman
authors.affiliation: Medical Management Centre, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: jenny.mcgreevy@virginmedia.com.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McGreevy
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Karolinska University Hospital, S-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, S-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: eva.mansson-brahme@karolinska.se.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Månsson-Brahme
authors.affiliation: Medical Management Centre, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: ylva.orrevall@ki.se.
authors.forename: Ylva
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Orrevall
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 410 Agriculture/Forestry Centre, Edmonton AB T6G 2P5, Canada. Electronic address: wwismer@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wismer
authors.affiliation: Medical Management Centre, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: britt-marie.bernhardson@ki.se.
authors.forename: Britt-Marie
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Bernhardson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D057566:Self Report; D013548:Sweden; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Longitudinal studies; Neoplasms; Olfaction disorders; Signs and symptoms; Taste disorders