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Related Experiment Videos

Taste dysfunction in patients receiving radiotherapy.

Hideomi Yamashita1, Keiichi Nakagawa, Masao Tago

  • 1Department of Radiology, University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1, Hongo, Tokyo, 113-8655 Japan. yamashitah-RAD@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Head & Neck
|April 19, 2006
PubMed
Summary

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Head and neck irradiation causes taste loss due to taste bud disappearance, not nerve damage. Taste function recovers weeks after radiotherapy (RT) ends.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Otorhinolaryngology
  • Sensory Science

Background:

  • Taste loss is a significant morbidity factor for patients receiving head and neck irradiation.
  • Radiotherapy (RT) can severely impact patients' quality of life through taste dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of head and neck irradiation on taste function.
  • To determine the underlying cause of radiotherapy-induced taste disorders.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study assessed 51 patients undergoing radical head and neck irradiation.
  • Taste ability was measured using the filter-paper-disc method for sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami tastes before, during, and after RT.
  • Anatomic pathologic analyses in rats examined taste bud changes after irradiation.

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Main Results:

  • Taste function declined by the fifth week of RT and began improving by the 11th week.
  • Irradiation (15 Gy) in rats led to complete taste bud disappearance by day six, with recovery by day 28.
  • Taste bud regeneration was observed following irradiation, suggesting a mechanism for taste recovery.

Conclusions:

  • The primary cause of taste disorder following RT is the disappearance of taste buds.
  • Damage to taste nerves is not the main contributor to RT-induced taste dysfunction.
  • Taste bud regeneration plays a crucial role in the recovery of taste function after radiotherapy.