Dealing with taste and smell alterations—A qualitative interview study of people treated for lung cancer

Abstract

Taste and smell alterations have been recognized as common symptoms in relation to various cancers. However, previous research suggests that patients do not receive sufficient support in managing taste and smell alterations. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate how persons with experience from lung cancer-related taste and smell alterations reason about resources and strategies offered and used to manage these symptoms. Data from semi-structured individual interviews with 13 women and four men were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. We used Kleinman’s now classic medical anthropological model of local health care systems, consisting of the personal, professional, and folk sector, to interpret and understand how people respond to sickness experiences in their daily lives. By presenting the findings using this model, we demonstrate that most strategies for dealing with taste and smell alterations were undertaken in the personal sector, i.e. in participants’ daily lives, on an individual level and in interaction with family, social networks and communities. Taste and smell alterations implied two overarching challenges: 1) adjusting to no longer being able to trust information provided by one’s own senses of taste and/or smell, and 2) coming to terms with taste and smell alterations as a part of having lung cancer. Health care professionals’ involvement was described as limited, but appeared to fulfil most participants’ expectations. However, through provision of normalizing information, practical advice, and to some extent, emotional support, health care professionals had potential to influence strategies and resources used for dealing with taste and smell alterations. With this study, we further the understanding of how people deal with lung cancer-related taste and smell alterations and discuss the role of health care professionals for this process.

Co-occurring Gastrointestinal Symptoms Are Associated With Taste Changes in Oncology Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

“…Compared with those with breast cancer, patients with lung cancer had a lower risk of being in the CFT group. While previous studies reported altered taste perceptions in patients with breast, 4,20,25,44 lung, 45,46 and gynecological 25,47 cancers, no studies were identified that examined relative risk of CFT across cancer diagnoses.…”

Subjective Taste and Smell Changes in Conjunction with Anxiety and Depression Are Associated with Symptoms in Patients with Functional Constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

“…Studies have reported how patients find ways to avoid unpleasant taste or smell experiences or manage the social impact of TSCs [ 43 ]. Based on patients' understanding of the TSCs, proactive patients with a positive attitude will take the initiative to manage their eating habits, such as eating healthier (less fat, more vegetables), choosing seasonings to adjust the taste of food, avoid odor, to name a few [ 44 ]. Therefore, FC and IBS patients need to be aware of the potential changes in their taste and smell to be able to manage their eating habits.…”

Nutritional problems and their non‐pharmacological treatment in adults undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplantation—A systematic review

“…This article mainly included information about pharmacological treatment (antiemetics) and cited few non‐pharmacological intervention studies, although the authors stated that such interventions play an important role and should therefore also be addressed in future studies. Taste and smell disorders are troublesome conditions for cancer patients (Belqaid, Tishelman, Orrevall, Mansson‐Brahme, & Bernhardson, 2018). No RCT addressing this important topic in HSCT patients was identified, although the prevalence of these disorders can reach up to nearly 80% in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and such disorders increase the risk of malnutrition (Amezaga et al., 2018; Cohen, Wakefield, & Laing, 2016; Okada et al., 2016).…”