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Taste and Smell Function in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors
Raul Alfaro1, Sylvia Crowder1, Kalika P Sarma2
1Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 905 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61820, USA.
Chemical Senses
|May 29, 2021
Summary
Head and neck cancer survivors often report persistent taste problems after radiation therapy. This study reveals subtle, localized taste damage in survivors, explaining long-term sensory complaints.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Sensory Neuroscience
- Radiation Oncology
Background:
- Head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) survivors frequently experience taste dysfunction post-radiation therapy.
- Existing sensory evaluation studies often predict taste recovery within months, contrasting with survivor complaints.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term recovery of taste and smell function in HNSCC survivors.
- To identify potential localized sensory deficits contributing to persistent dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Compared taste and smell function in HNSCC survivors (n=40) and healthy controls (n=20).
- Utilized the general Labeled Magnitude Scale for taste intensity and the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) for smell.
- Assessed regional (tongue tip) and whole-mouth taste perception, including retronasal smell, using various stimuli.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in whole-mouth taste intensity or smell identification (UPSIT) between groups.
- HNSCC survivors showed reduced ability to identify low concentrations of bitter, sweet, and salty stimuli on the tongue tip.
- Retronasal smell perception did not differ significantly between survivors and controls.
Conclusions:
- Persistent, subtle damage to the chorda tympani or fungiform papillae taste buds may occur in HNSCC survivors.
- Localized taste deficits, particularly on the tongue tip, likely contribute to long-term sensory complaints in these patients.
- Full recovery of taste function may not occur in all HNSCC survivors long after radiotherapy.
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