Taste Alterations: Clinicians’ Perspective on Cancer Patient Outcomes and Management Strategies

Taste alterations, a common treatment-related side effect among cancer patients, with up to 93% complaining of taste-related symptoms. Even with its high prevalence, patients report a lack in support from clinicians. Clinicians’ perspective regarding taste alterations among cancer patients is not well understood. Thus, this study examines clinicians’ perspectives regarding taste alterations among cancer patients. In an online survey, sixty-seven clinicians practicing in the United States and working with cancer patients complaining of taste problems answered questions on their experience treating patients' taste alteration symptoms. Clinicians are most concerned about the impact of taste alterations on nutritional intake, emotional distress, and overall quality of life. 73% reported understanding the patient's taste alterations was important or very important. Yet roughly 75% thought it was challenging to recommend strategies to manage their symptoms, and nearly all reported feeling frustrated when supporting patients’ taste alterations. Regarding management strategies, clinicians mostly suggested dietary counseling, drinking plenty of fluids during meals, and changing the texture of the food, with some success reported for these strategies. This study provides new insight into clinicians’ experiences supporting cancer patients with taste alterations, helping identify knowledge gaps. A lack of evidence-based taste management strategies poses a significant challenge for clinicians in managing patients' taste alterations. These results emphasize the need to develop education and training material and identify effective treatment strategies to assist clinicians in providing better-quality care for patients suffering from taste alterations.