ArticleRadiation oncology (London, England)2020
The effect of radiotherapy on taste sensation in head and neck cancer patients - a prospective study.
Article in Radiation oncology (London, England), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 47 citations in OpenAlex.
- Quantitative evaluation of taste dysfunction using electrogustometry in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing intensity-modulated radiation therapy and intensity-modulated proton therapy.Journal of radiation research · 2026Article
- Head and Neck Radiotherapy Short-Term Oral Complications: Effect on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life at Dharmais Cancer Hospital.European journal of dentistry · 2026Article
- Post-radiotherapy xerostomia and quality of life in head and neck cancer patients.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- A multi-toxicity deep learning approach for normal tissue complication probability modelling in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology · 2026Article
- Validation of the Tamil Version of the Taste and Smell Questionnaire for Assessing Sensory Dysfunction in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemoradiotherapy.Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP · 2026Article
- Tripotent Lgr5 stem cells in the posterior tongue generate lingual, taste, and salivary gland lineages.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Effects of smoking cessation on taste function in heavy smokers undergoing hemiglossectomy for tongue squamous cell carcinoma.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025Article
- Taste Dysfunction in Head and Neck Cancer: Pathophysiology and Clinical Management-A Comprehensive Review.Biomedicines · 2025Review
- Correlation between taste and smell alterations and quality of life in patients treated with radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a cross-sectional study in China.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Article
- Article
- Exploring the link between burning mouth syndrome and human herpesvirus-6B: a narrative review on pathogenesis.Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand · 2025Review
- The nutritional impact of metallic taste in head and neck cancer patients: explorations and clinical implications.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024Article
- Therapy-Associated Saliva and Taste change Evaluation (TASTE) in head & neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy: a study protocol.BMC cancer · 2024Observational
- Article
- Wearing individualized 3D printed oral stent to protect normal tissues in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma during radiotherapy.Journal of applied clinical medical physics · 2023Article
- Acute Taste Dysfunction in Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients after Transoral Robotic Surgery.The Laryngoscope · 2023Article
- Toward a holistic understanding of cancer cachexia: Application of the human response to illness model.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2023Review
- Oral Sequelae after Head and Neck Radiotherapy: RCT Comparing 3D-Printed Tissue Retraction Devices with Conventional Dental Splints.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Chemosensory Functions After Glossectomy-A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.The Laryngoscope · 2023Article
- The influence of radiation dose on taste impairment in a prospective observational study cohort of oropharyngeal cancer patients.Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden) · 2022Observational
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOne of the main side effects of head and neck (H&N) radiation therapy (RT) is alteration in taste sensation. It causes significant morbidity and has a major effect on quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to prospectively define the effect of RT on taste sensation (general, and four basic tastes) and correlate these findings with changes in saliva secretion and QoL questionnaires.
methodsPatients with H&N cancer treated with RT, in which the oral cavity was expected to receive a mean dose of 30 Gray (Gy). Patients were evaluated by Whole-Saliva Sialometry, validated Taste Strips and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer H&N QoL questionnaires prior to RT (T0), mid-point of radiotherapy dose (T1), at the end of radiotherapy (T2) and 1 (T3), 3 (T4) and 12 months (T5) after completion of treatment course.
resultsTwenty-eight patients were recruited, and 21 patients completed study procedures and were analyzed. Median age was 66 years (range 18-90). The most common tumor site was the oral cavity. The median prescribed radiation dose to the high dose volume was 66 (range 60-70). The median mean and max dose to the oral cavity were 25.1 (range 14-69) and 64.9 (range 30-70), respectively. There was a significant decrease in overall taste sensation between T0 and T1 and T2. With specific tastes, there were significant decreases in sensation of sweet and salty, a trend with bitter and no change with sour. All returned to baseline at T3 and onwards. There was no significant correlation between the max or mean dose to the oral cavity and overall taste sensation or between doses to different areas of the tongue and overall or specific tastes. At T0 there was a significant positive correlation between overall taste sensation and whole-saliva sialometry, and at T1 and T2 there were strong trends. There were significant declines in QoL scores during RT.
conclusionsWe found a significant immediate reduction in taste sensation due to RT in H&N cancer patients with taste recovery 1 month after treatment completion. There were strong trends to a correlation with saliva production that requires further exploration.
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