Long-term outcome of radiotherapy-induced taste dysfunction in head and neck cancer patients: a pilot study
Author
Guedea, Marc
Parra, Andrea
Viñals, Helena
Almendros, Sonia
Guix, Inés
Linares, Isabel
Ventura, Montse
Giner Tarrida, Lluís
Guedea, Ferran
Lozano, Alicia
Publication date
2020ISSN
2394-8418
Abstract
Aims: Taste dysfunction is a frequent complaint in head and neck cancer patients treated with Radiation Therapy (RT), which impairs nutritional support and affects quality of life. A prospective unicenter pilot study was conducted to assess taste dysfunction of the four basic tastes (sweet, salty, bitter, sour) and umami in four patients receiving RT for head and neck cancer. Methods: In four male patients (mean age 56 years) diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx (n= 2) and hypopharynx (n= 1) and undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx (n= 1), Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) was administered with a total dose of 69,9 Gy on the tumor (2,12 Gy per fraction) and 54,12 Gy on risk lymph node areas at risk of suclinical disease (1,64 Gy per fraction), five times each week for 7 weeks. Cisplatin chemotherapy was administered for 3 cycles (every 21 days). The filter-paper disc was used to assess thresholds of sweet, salty, bitter, sour tastes, and the whole-mouth taste method for umami. Testing was performed before RT, at 3 weeks (during RT), at 6 weeks (during RT), at 12 months (after RT) and at 14 months (after RT). Results: The four basic tastes experienced a decrease in their recognition threshold at 3 and 6 weeks as compared with pre-RT values, but at 12 and 14 months values were similar to those before treatment. The perception of the umami taste follows a pattern similar to the four basic tastes and normalized from the year of starting radiotherapy. Conclusion: In the long-term, pilot study, the four basic tastes and umami declined during the first 6 weeks after the start of RT but improved up to pre-treatment values after a follow-up of 14 months. Restoration of test abilities is clinically relevant for head and neck cancer patients treated with RT.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Accepted version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
61 - Medical sciences
Keywords
Càncer -- Radioteràpia
Coll -- Càncer
Llengua (Anatomia)
Gust
Cáncer -- Radioterapia
Cuello -- Cáncer
Lengua
Gusto
Cancer -- Radiotherapy
Neck -- Cancer
Tongue
Taste
Pages
4
Publisher
Peertechz Publications
Collection
7; 1
Is part of
Journal of Dental Problems and Solutions
Citation
Guedea, Marc; Parra, Andrea; Viñals, Helena [et al.]. Long-term outcome of radiotherapy-induced taste dysfunction in head and neck cancer patients: a pilot study. Journal of Dental Problems and Solutions, 2020, 7(1), p. 30-33. Disponible en: <https://www.peertechz.com/articles/JDPS-7-182.php>. Fecha de acceso: 12 jun. 2020. DOI: 10.17352/2394-8418.000082
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Ciències de la Salut [745]
Rights
© 2020 Guedea M, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/