[Clinical study of taste abnormalities in advanced lung cancer cases]

Taste recognition thresholds for four basic tastes, sweet, salty, and bitter, have been examined in 36 advanced lung cancer patients to identify the presence or absence of taste abnormalities in such patients. Twenty-six untreated lung cancer patients, or 65.3%, demonstrated an abnormal taste threshold for at least one of the 4 taste, a result varying significantly from suitable controls (p less than 0.05). Among the total 36 lung cancer patients, the number of those showing a threshold abnormality was no different between the smoker and non-smoker groups, though abnormalities were higher in the low serum zinc level group than in the normal serum zinc level group (p less than 0.05). We also observed transient threshold elevations after chemotherapy including Cisplatin. Thus, it is thought that taste abnormalities are more prevalent in advanced lung cancer patients.