Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Generation and Culture of Lingual Organoids Derived from Adult Mouse Taste Stem Cells
Published on: April 5, 2021
[Change of Taste during and after IM- /IG-Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer Patients]
C Leitzen1, S Herberhold2, T Wilhelm-Buchstab1
1Radiologie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Bonn.
Objective:
Taste dysfunction is a common side effect during irradiation of head and neck. Our aim was to determine the time-dependent course and a possible dependency of this side effect to the radiation-dose during irradiation with helical tomotherapy.
Patients And Methods:
31 patients with malignant tumours in the region of head and neck received an IG-/IM-radiotherapy (helical tomotherapy).The median total dose was 63 Gy (range 30-66 Gy). For all patients the subjective taste dysfunction was documented and correlated to the median (D50) tongue dose.
Results:
A subjective taste dysfunction was registered by the patients themselves after 9 BT (days of radiotherapy) (median). This correlates to a mean dose (D50) of 15.3 Gy (back third of tongue (back ZD)), 11.3 Gy (middle ZD), 8.2 Gy (front ZD). A subjective ageusia occurred after 15 BT (median) (28.9 Gy (back ZD), 22.2 Gy (middle ZD), 17.7 Gy (front ZD)). A starting recovery was registered by 77% of the patients in the first 6-8 weeks after the end of radiotherapy.
Conclusion:
The time-dependent course of taste dysfunction during radiotherapy and the following recovery is predictable. A dependency of taste dysfunction to radiation-dose exists. Based on the collected data a targeted dose reduction to the tongue with a view to minimize the taste dysfunction is thinkable and aim of further studies.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Taste Buds and Receptors
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Cannabinoids
Two synthetic agonists of THC,...
The Physiology of Taste
Gustation

