Zinc supplementation for dysgeusia in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer

• Published in: International journal of clinical oncology 2024-08, Vol.29 (8), p.1173-1181
• Main Authors: Seiki, Yusuke, Ikezawa, Kenji, Watsuji, Ko, Urabe, Makiko, Kai, Yugo, Takada, Ryoji, Yamai, Takuo, Mukai, Kaori, Nakabori, Tasuku, Uehara, Hiroyuki, Ishibashi, Miki, Ohkawa, Kazuyoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Albumin; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Cancer Research; Chemotherapy; Dietary Supplements; Dysgeusia - drug therapy; Female; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Nutrient deficiency; Nutritional Status; Oncology; Original Article; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic Neoplasms - complications; Pancreatic Neoplasms - drug therapy; Retrospective Studies; Surgical Oncology; Taste disorders; Zinc; Zinc - administration & dosage; Zinc - blood; Zinc - deficiency; Zinc - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 1341-9625; 1437-7772; 1437-7772
• DOI: 10.1007/s10147-024-02544-w

Background Although patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (PC) often experience dysgeusia with zinc deficiency during chemotherapy, data on zinc supplementation for dysgeusia and its effects on nutritional status are scarce. We aimed to examine the efficacy of zinc supplementation in patients with advanced PC. Methods Thirty-three patients with unresectable PC who presented with dysgeusia and zinc deficiency during chemotherapy and received zinc acetate hydrate between January 2018 and December 2022 were included. We evaluated the changes in serum zinc levels and the improvement in dysgeusia. Among the 26 patients who received zinc supplementation for 12 weeks, we also compared patient characteristics and changes in serum zinc and albumin levels between patients who showed improvement in dysgeusia (effective group) and those who did not (non-effective group). Results The serum zinc level increased significantly after zinc supplementation (median: 60 µg/dL at baseline, 99.5 µg/dL at 4 weeks, 101 µg/dL at 8 weeks and 101 µg/dL at 12 weeks). The rate of improvement in dysgeusia increased over time (18.2% at 4 weeks, 33.3% at 8 weeks, and 42.4% at 12 weeks). Comparing the effective group and non-effective group revealed that while the median serum albumin level of the effective group did not change, the non-effective group showed a significant decrease from baseline to 12 weeks (3.2 g/dL to 3.0 g/dL, p = 0.03). Conclusion Zinc supplementation significantly increased serum zinc levels, improving dysgeusia. Zinc supplementation might also contribute to maintaining nutritional status in patients with unresectable PC.