Observational studyLa Radiologia medica2023
Impact of radiation dose on patient-reported acute taste alteration in a prospective observational study cohort in head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC).
Observational study in La Radiologia medica, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cancer survivors' experiences with mHealth interventions for PA: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- 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
- Dose-dependent taste dysfunction in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.Radiation oncology (London, England) · 2025Article
- Article
- Taste Dysfunction in Head and Neck Cancer: Pathophysiology and Clinical Management-A Comprehensive Review.Biomedicines · 2025Review
- Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Insights from Dual-Energy Computed Tomography (DECT).Tomography (Ann Arbor, Mich.) · 2024Review
- Taste and Smell Alterations (TSAs) in Cancer Patients.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Unravelling Quality of Life for Head and Neck Cancer Patients after VMAT Radiation Therapy: Insights from Toxicity, Dosimetry and Symptoms Correlation.Clinics and practice · 2024Article
- Impact of fosaprepitant in the prevention of nausea and emesis in head and neck cancer patients undergoing cisplatin-based chemoradiation: a pilot prospective study and a review of literature.La Radiologia medica · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTaste alteration (TA) is a frequent acute side effect of radiation treatment in HNSCC patients. Principal aim of our study was to investigate dosimetric parameters in relation to patient-assessed taste impairment in a prospective cohort treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy.
methodsAll patients with locally advanced HNSCC and amenable to radical treatment were included. Chemotherapy-induced taste alteration scale (CITAS), EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-HN43 questionnaires at baseline (T0), 3 weeks (T1) and 3 months (T2) after radiotherapy conclusion were used to assess taste impairment. Base of tongue, submandibular glands (SG), parotid glands (PG) and taste buds, along with anterior and medium third of the tongue, were considered as organs at risk and thus delineated according to consensus guidelines. The mean dose to the above-mentioned structures was correlated with patient-reported outcomes.
resultsBetween September 2019 and November 2020, 33 patients were recruited, 31 of which analyzed. 71% had oropharyngeal carcinoma, mostly HPV-related (60%). All were treated with tomotherapy. 77.4% had concurrent cisplatin. Mean scores of general taste alterations, global health status and dry mouth and sticky saliva were assessed. The mean doses to the anterior third, medium third and base of the tongue were 23.85, 35.50 and 47.67 Gy, respectively. Taste buds received 32.72 Gy; right and left parotid 25 and 23 Gy; right and left submandibular glands 47.8 and 39.4 Gy. At univariate analysis, dysgeusia correlated with SG mean dose (95% CI 0-0.02 p = 0.05) and PG mean dose (95% CI 0-0.02 p = 0.05); dry mouth with mean dose to anterior (95% CI 0.03-1.47 p = 0.04) and medium third (95% CI 0.02-0.93 p = 0.04) of the tongue, to taste buds (95% CI 0.06-0.96 p = 0.03) and to SGs (95% CI 0.06-0.63 p = 0.02); pain mouth with mean dose to taste buds (95% CI 0-0.02 p = 0.04), to SGs (95% CI 0-0.03 p = 0.03) and to base tongue (95% CI 0-0.02 p = 0.02).
conclusionsOur analysis supports the influence of dose distribution on the development of TA in HNSCC patients. The contribution of dose to taste buds and tongue subvolumes remains unclear and worthy of further investigation.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.