Academic Department of Palliative Medicine, Our Lady's Hospice & Care Services, Dublin, Ireland.
School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Support Care Cancer. 2020 May;28(5):2389-2396. doi: 10.1007/s00520-019-05017-3. Epub 2019 Sep 5.
Taste and smell abnormalities (TSA) commonly occur in cancer and are associated with anorexia, early satiety, malnutrition, weight loss and reduced quality of life. A recent study found a high TSA prevalence in newly diagnosed cancer patients before treatment. This suggests that TSA may originate from the tumour itself. No previous study has examined TSA, both subjectively and objectively, in newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve cancer patients. This study aimed to address this gap.
This prospective observational study recruited consecutive, newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve patients with solid tumours at Radiation Oncology Out-patients. Self-reported taste and smell changes since becoming ill were evaluated using modified Taste and Smell Survey, and objective taste and smell tests were conducted using 'Sniffin' Sticks Olfactory Test® and Burghart Taste Strips®. Nutritional status was assessed with abridged Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment.
Thirty completed the study. Seventy-four per cent had at least one TSA. Taste changes and/or abnormalities were more prevalent than smell, and subjective taste changes more common than objective abnormalities. Although less common, smell abnormalities impacted quality of life more. TSA characteristics were heterogeneous. Forty-seven per cent were at malnutrition risk. No association was found between TSA and nutritional status.
Over two thirds had at least one TSA and almost half were at malnutrition risk. Self-reported TSA included changes in taste and smell perception, and most commonly persistent bad taste. This study demonstrated the complexity of TSA assessment and the prevalence, severity and impact of these and related symptoms in treatment-naïve cancer patients.
味觉和嗅觉异常（TSA）在癌症中很常见，与厌食、早饱、营养不良、体重减轻和生活质量下降有关。最近的一项研究发现，在治疗前的新发癌症患者中，TSA 的患病率很高。这表明 TSA 可能源自肿瘤本身。以前没有研究在新诊断的、未经治疗的癌症患者中同时进行主观和客观的 TSA 检查。本研究旨在填补这一空白。
这项前瞻性观察性研究招募了连续的、新诊断的、未经治疗的实体瘤放射肿瘤门诊患者。使用改良的味觉和嗅觉调查评估自发病以来味觉和嗅觉变化，使用“Sniffin' Sticks 嗅觉测试®”和 Burghart 味觉条®进行客观味觉和嗅觉测试。使用简化的患者生成主观整体评估评估营养状况。
30 人完成了研究。74%的人至少有一种 TSA。味觉变化和/或异常比嗅觉更常见，主观味觉变化比客观异常更常见。尽管不太常见，但嗅觉异常对生活质量的影响更大。TSA 的特征具有异质性。47%的人有营养不良的风险。TSA 与营养状况之间没有关联。
超过三分之二的人至少有一种 TSA，近一半的人有营养不良的风险。自我报告的 TSA 包括味觉和嗅觉感知的变化，最常见的是持续的不良味觉。本研究表明 TSA 评估的复杂性以及这些和相关症状在未经治疗的癌症患者中的普遍性、严重程度和影响。
