Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A systematic review of dysgeusia induced by cancer therapies

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Supportive Care in Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose was to review relevant scientific papers written since 1989 which focused on the prevalence and management of dysgeusia as an oral side effect of cancer treatment.

Methods

Our literature search was limited to English language papers published between 1990 and 2008. A total of 30 papers were reviewed; the results of 26 of these papers were included in the present systematic review. A structured assessment form was used by two reviewers for each paper. Studies were weighted as to the quality of the study design, and treatment recommendations were based on the relative strength of each paper.

Results

A wide range in reported prevalence of dysgeusia was identified with the weighted prevalence from 56–76%, depending on the type of cancer treatment. Attempts to prevent dysgeusia through the prophylactic use of zinc sulfate or amifostine have been of limited benefit. Nutritional counseling may be helpful to some patients in minimizing the symptoms of dysgeusia.

Conclusions

Dysgeusia is a common oral side effect of cancer therapy (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or combined modality therapy) and often impacts negatively on quality of life. From the current literature, there does not appear to be a predictable way of preventing or treating dysgeusia.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bartoshuk LM (1990) Chemosensory alterations and cancer therapies. NCI Monogr 9:179–184

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Amossan C et al (2003) Dosimetric predictors of xerostomia for head-and-neck cancer patients treated with the SMART (simultaneous modulated accelerated radiation therapy) boost technique. Int J Oncol Biol Phys 56(1):136–144

    Google Scholar 

  3. Batist G et al (2002) Neovastat (AE-941) in refractory renal cell carcinoma patients: report of a phase II trial with two dose levels. Ann Oncol 13:1259–1263

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Beale J et al (2003) A phase I clinical and pharmacological study of cis-diamminedichloro (2-methylpuridine) platinum II (AMD473). Br J Cancer 88:1128–1134

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Buntzel et al (1998) Radiochemotherapy with amifostine cytoprotection for head and neck cancer. Support Care Cancer 6:155–160

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Denis et al (2003) Late toxicity results of the gortec 94-01 randomized trial comparing radiotherapy with concomitant radiochemotherapy for advanced-stage oropharynx carcinoma: comparison of LENT/SOMA, RTOG/EORTC, and NCI-CTC scoring systems. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 55(1):93–98

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Epstein J et al (2001) Quality of life and oral function in patients treated with radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Head and Neck 23:389–398

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Fu-Min F et al (2005) Changing quality of life in patients with advanced head and neck cancer after primary radiotherapy or chemoradiation. Oncology 68:405–413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Fu-Min F et al (2004) Changes in quality of life of head-and-neck cancer patients following postoperative radiotherapy. Acta Oncol 43(6):571–578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Febbo PG et al (2005) Neoadjuvant docetaxel before radical prostatectomy in patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res 11(14):5233–5240

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Hainsworth J et al (2002) Induction paclitaxel, carboplatin and infusional 5-FU followed by concurrent radiation therapy and weekly paclitaxel/carboplatin in the treatment of locally-advanced head and neck cancer: a phase II trial of the Minnie Pearl Cancer Research Network. Cancer J 8:311–321

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Halyard et al (2007) Does zinc sulfate prevent therapy-induced taste alterations in head and neck cancer patients? Results of phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled trial from the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (N01C4). Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 67(5):1318–1322

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Halyard M (2009) Taste and smell alterations in cancer patients—real problems with few solutions. J Support Oncol 7(2):68–69

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Heckmann SM et al (2005) Zinc gluconate in the treatment of dysgeusia—a randomized clinical trial. J Dent Res 84(1):35–38

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Hong JH et al (2009) Taste and odor abnormalities in cancer patients. J Support Oncol 7(2):58–65

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Huang et al (2000) Symptom profile of nasopharyngeal cancer patients during radiation therapy. Cancer Pract 8(6):274–281

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Hughes PJ et al (2000) Dysphagia in treated nasopharyngeal cancer. Head Neck 22:393–397

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Just et al (2005) Confocal microscopy of the peripheral gustatory system: comparison between healthy subjects and patients suffering from taste disorders during radiochemotherapy. Laryngoscope 115:2178–2182

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Kearvell et al (2004) Acute radiation toxicity assessment of a 3-D conformal head and neck radiation treatment technique. Australas Radiol 48:358–363

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Kita T et al (2004) Multifactorial analysis on the short-term side-effects occurring within 96 hours after radioiodine-131 therapy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Ann Nucl Med 18(4):345–349

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Komaki et al (2004) Effects of amifostine on acute toxicity from concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy for inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer: report of a randomized comparative trial. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 58(5):1369–1377

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Lu et al (2005) Prospective phase II trial of concomitant boose radiotherapy for stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma: an evaluation of response and toxicity. Laryngoscope 115:806–810

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Macquart-Moulin et al (2000) High-dose sequential chemotherapy with recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and repeated stem-cell support for inflammatory breast cancer patients: does impact on quality of life jeopardize feasibility and acceptability of treatment? J Clin Oncol 18(4):754–764

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Maisano R et al (2003) Is weekly docetaxel an active and gentle chemotherapy in treatment of metastatic breast cancer? Anticancer Res 23:1923–1930

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Martin M et al (2006) Toxicity and health-related quality of life in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant docetaxel, doxorubin, cyclophosphamide (TAC) or 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (FAC): impact of adding primary prophylactic granuloctye-colony stimulating factor to the TAC regimen. Ann Oncol 17:1205–1212

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Ohrn K et al (2001) Oral status during RT and CT: a descriptive study of patient experiences and the occurrence of oral complications. Support Care Cancer 9:247–257

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Ravasco P et al (2005) Impact of nutrition on outcome: a prospective randomized controlled trial in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy. Head and Neck 27:659–668

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Ripamonti C (1998) Taste alterations in cancer patients. J Pain Symptom Manage 16(6):349–351

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Rosenbluth B et al (2005) Intensity-modulated radiation therapy for the treatment of nonanaplastic thyroid cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 63:1419–1426

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Steinback S et al (2009) Qualitative and quantitative assessment of taste and smell changes in patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer or gynecologic malignancies. J Clin Oncol 27(11):1899–1905

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Van Poznak C et al (2001) Oral gossypol in the treatment of patients with refractory metastatic breatst cancer: a phase I/II clinical trial. Breast Cancer Res Treat 66:239–248

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Vosmik M et al (2006) IMRT with the use of simultaneous integrated boost in treatment of head and neck cancer: acute toxicity evaluation. Acta Med 49(3):167–173

    Google Scholar 

  33. Williams et al (2004) The effect of education in managing side effects in women receiving chemotherapy for treatment of breast cancer. Oncol Nurs Forum 31(1):E16–E23

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Winter et al (2004) Quality of life following resection, free flap reconstruction and postoperative external beam radiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the base of tongue. Clin Otolaryngol 29:274–278

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Yamashita et al (2006) Relation between acute and late irradiation impairment of four basic tastes and irradiated tongue volume in patients with head-and-neck cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 66(5):1422–1429

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Brennan MT, Elting LS, Spijkervet FKL. Systematic reviews of oral complications from cancer therapies, Oral Care Study Group, MASCC/ISOO: methodology and quality of the literature. Support Care Cancer doi:10.1007/s00520-010-0856-3

Download references

Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program in Oral Oncology/Dentistry, BC Cancer Agency, 600 W. 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5B 4E6, Canada

    Allan J. Hovan & P. Michele Williams

  2. Department of Dentistry, Vancouver General Hospital, 2775 Laurel Street, 7th Floor, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada

    Peter Stevenson-Moore

  3. Department of Paedodontics, University of Umea, 901 85, Umea, Sweden

    Yula B. Wahlin

  4. School or Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, 791 88, Falun, Sweden

    Kirsten E. O. Ohrn

  5. Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Linda S. Elting

  6. Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Fred K. L. Spijkervet

  7. Department of Oral Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, P.O. Box 32861, Charlotte, NC, 28232, USA

    Michael T. Brennan

Authors
  1. Allan J. Hovan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Michele Williams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peter Stevenson-Moore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yula B. Wahlin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kirsten E. O. Ohrn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Linda S. Elting
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Fred K. L. Spijkervet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Michael T. Brennan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Consortia

Dysgeusia Section, Oral Care Study Group, Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC)/International Society of Oral Oncology (ISOO)

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Allan J. Hovan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hovan, A.J., Williams, P.M., Stevenson-Moore, P. et al. A systematic review of dysgeusia induced by cancer therapies. Support Care Cancer 18, 1081–1087 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-010-0902-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-010-0902-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation