Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31273626›Full record

ArticleQuality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation2019

Changes in taste among pediatric patients with cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients.

Robyn Loves, Erin Plenert, Vivian Tomlinson, Sasha Palmert, Gloria Green, Tal Schechter, Deborah Tomlinson, Emily Vettese, Sue Zupanec, L Lee Dupuis and 1 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Taste disorders in cancer patients and current therapeutic approaches: a narrative review of an understudied topic in supportive care.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Smell and taste function in childhood cancer patients: a feasibility study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021
    Article
  5. Changes in hunger among pediatric patients with cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2020
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Robyn LovesProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Erin PlenertProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Vivian TomlinsonProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Sasha PalmertProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Gloria GreenDivision of Clinical Dietetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
Tal SchechterDivision of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
Deborah TomlinsonProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Emily VetteseProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Sue ZupanecDivision of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
L Lee DupuisProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Lillian SungProgram in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada. lillian.sung@sickkids.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0951-3091
Hospital for Sick Children · CAUniversity of Toronto · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeChanges in taste is a common bothersome symptom in children receiving cancer treatments. However, little is known about how pediatric cancer patients experience this symptom. The objective was to describe how children receiving cancer treatments experience taste alterations and the approaches they use to address the issue.

methodsIn this qualitative study, we included English-speaking children 4-18 years of age with cancer or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients who were actively receiving cancer treatment or who had completed therapy. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, we asked questions about the experience of altered taste sensation. We asked about its characteristics, impacts and identified coping strategies.

resultsWe included 50 children. Children experienced changes in taste in a heterogeneous fashion although commonly described food as tasting "different", "not right" or "funny". While change in food preferences due to taste alterations was common, specific choices varied. Many found changes started with treatment initiation or mid-way through treatment, and some found that symptoms persisted up to 9 months following treatment completion. Actions taken to address taste changes were sucking on candy, brushing teeth and modifying food choices.

conclusionsThe experience of changes in taste was common yet highly variable in its presentation and resultant changes in food preferences. Taste changes did not always resolve soon after treatment completion. Future research should identify ways to manage this symptom in pediatric cancer patients.

Indexed as

AdolescentChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHematopoietic Stem Cell TransplantationHumansMaleQuality of LifeTasteCancerChildrenHematopoietic stem cell transplantationSSPediSymptomsTaste

Identifiers

PMID31273626
OpenAlexW2955323675

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.