Alterations in Taste Sensation

Abstract

Alterations in taste can occur as a result of cancer, cancer treatment, and from a variety of other causes. Cancer patients frequently experience taste alterations, which often go undetected in the clinical setting. This case presentation depicts a 90-year-old client with end-stage pancreatic cancer undergoing chemotherapy treatment with gemcitabine. The symptomatology of taste changes is described. Etiology and rationale for taste changes is presented for the cancer patient population, and for the general population. Review of the cancer literature, research instruments, and goals/outcomes are discussed. The author determined that interventional studies are lacking, and research is needed.

Components of the anorexia–cachexia syndrome: gastrointestinal symptom correlates of cancer anorexia

“…Those with food aversions were also more likely to have early satiety. Both food aversions and taste changes may occur more frequently as anorexia worsens [17,24,27,38]. Some suggest that such aversions are psychologically conditioned by cancer treatment [17,32].…”

Metallic Taste: An Unusual Reaction to Botulinum Toxin A

“…Torquegeusia is salty, bitter, or metallic, and parageusia is a skewed yet not unpleasant taste (e.g., apples taste like oranges). Alterations in taste sensation may result from many etiologies, including xerostomia, infection, zinc deficiency, head and neck surgery, and a long list of neurologic disorders and drugs 19 …”

“…Metallic taste was reported to be the most common disorder of taste associated with drug therapy, other than loss of taste 18–21 . No studies have rigorously investigated the pathogenesis of metallic taste secondary to drug exposure.…”