Is taste related to anorexia in cancer patients?

Intensity and pleasantness of five suprathreshold concentrations each of citric acid, NaCl, urea, and sucrose in beverages were scaled by 62 patients with primary tumors in upper gastrointestinal or thoracic areas, 22 of whom had chemotherapy within the month before testing. Mean intensity scores directly correlated with concentration of sour, salty, bitter, and sweet stimuli and indicated no abnormalities of taste perception among patients grouped by tumor site, therapy, or appetite. In contrast, mean hedonic functions differed among individuals and groups. Patients on chemotherapy were less likely to display a distinct preference for any of the five concentrations of sucrose, particularly high levels, than those not on chemotherapy. Anorectics were more likely to prefer lower sweetness levels than nonanorectics, but sweet foods constituted a greater percentage of their daily caloric intake. Current theories for regulation of hunger and satiety were examined to elucidate the pathogenesis of anorexia in cancer patients.