Taste thresholds in patients with small-cell lung cancer

Abstract

Recognition thresholds for the four basic tastes (salt, sour, sweet and bitter) were tested by the forced-choice technique in 27 patients with small-cell lung cancer, and 22 weight-matched control patients with non-malignant diseases. No significant differences in threshold concentrations could be demonstrated. When patients who were losing weight were compared with weight-stable patients, significantly lower taste thresholds for bitter substances were found in weight losing groups in both cancer and control patients. Small-cell lung cancer patients who responded to therapy had obtained an increased threshold for bitter taste at the time of reevaluation than at the time of diagnosis, an effect that may be explained by the chemotherapeutic regimen. The results suggest that in patients with small-cell lung cancer it is not the cancer disease per se but the weight loss that often accompanies it that causes an increased taste sensitivity for bitter substances.

Chemosensory Science in the Context of Cancer Treatment: Implications for Patient Care

“…Cancer treatment therefore is aimed at killing, removing or slowing the growth of rapidly dividing cells. A pivotal review of oral sensation and cancer (Duffy et al 2002) and key papers comparing taste and smell function in cancer patients compared to healthy controls (Ovesen et al 1991;Steinbach et al 2010) support the notion that cancer in itself is not the usual cause of sensory problems in oncology populations. Instead, the clinical interventions used to combat the disease, and their subsequent side effects, are implicated in adverse changes in the sensorium and food hedonics.…”

“…In chemotherapy populations, publications have reported associations between changes in taste function to particular dietary or nutritional trends. Ovesen et al (1991) examined recognition thresholds for sweet, salt, sour and bitter in 27 patients with lung cancer and 22 weight matched control patients with non-malignant diseases and found, in all participants, that those with greater weight loss had greatest sensitivity to quinine chloride (bitter tastant). Bruera et al (1984) measured sweet sensitivity, dietary intake and nutritional status in 72 patients with advanced solid tumours receiving chemotherapy.…”

Gustatory and olfactory function in breast cancer patients

“…DeWys and Walters [8], Carson and Gormican [6], Williams and Cohen [37], Mossman and Henkin [21], Kamath et al [14] as well as Ovesen et al. [24] tested taste function in cancer patients by Henkin's drop method and reported changes in various taste modalities: sweet [6,8], sour [37], salty [6], and bitter [8]; no significant change was reported by Kamath et al [14] and Ovesen et al [24]. Other studies attempted to characterize suprathreshold intensity in cancer patients using pure taste chemicals in distilled water [1,31,33] or in simple foods [1,3,34].…”

Characteristics of taste and smell alterations reported by patients after starting treatment for lung cancer

“…Taste detection and recognition thresholds of basic tastes (salt, sweet, sour and bitter) have been measured in patients with cancer using clinical [9] and electrical tests [10]. Smell changes in the absence of taste changes have been less well studied [11].…”