Umami taste dysfunction in patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

Summary Taste loss is a major cause of morbidity in patients undergoing head and neck irradiation. Previous studies have reported the alteration of the four basic tastes in patients with head and neck cancer during radiotherapy. However, only a few studies have been conducted on the effects of irrad...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oral oncology 2009-03, Vol.45 (3), p.e19-e23
Main Authors: Yamashita, Hideomi, Nakagawa, Keiichi, Hosoi, Yoshio, Kurokawa, Azusa, Fukuda, Yusuke, Matsumoto, Ichiro, Misaka, Takumi, Abe, Keiko
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Female
Head and neck cancer
Head and Neck Neoplasms - radiotherapy
Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Otolaryngology
Prospective Studies
Radiation Dosage
Radiotherapy
Stomatitis - etiology
Taste - radiation effects
Taste Disorders - etiology
Taste loss
Taste Threshold - radiation effects
Umami taste
Whole-mouth taste method
Xerostomia - etiology
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Summary:Summary Taste loss is a major cause of morbidity in patients undergoing head and neck irradiation. Previous studies have reported the alteration of the four basic tastes in patients with head and neck cancer during radiotherapy. However, only a few studies have been conducted on the effects of irradiation on the function of umami taste, a novel and basic taste recently recognized. In a prospective study, 52 patients undergoing radical head and neck irradiation were assessed for taste loss. Taste ability was measured by the taste threshold for umami quality using the whole-mouth taste method in patients before, during, and immediately after radiotherapy. Umami taste declined of the 3rd week after the start of radiotherapy and improved of the 8th week.
ISSN:1368-8375
1879-0593
DOI:10.1016/j.oraloncology.2008.04.001