Alterations in taste sensation: a case presentation of a patient with end-stage pancreatic cancer.

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.