Taste, Smell Changes During Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer Negatively Affect Quality of Life

Changes to taste and smell, dubbed “taste and smell alterations” (TSAs), in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy are pervasive, according to results from a recent study. Furthermore, the greater the severity of the TSAs, the lower the overall quality of life, especially physical and functional well-being. These findings were published in Oncology Nursing Forum.

To understand TSAs and their association with quality of life across women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy, researchers at the College of Nursing at Ewha University in Seoul, South Korea, implemented a descriptive, correlational study with 121 women, collecting data via an online survey.

The Taste and Smell Survey (TSS), a survey originally developed for patients with HIV but currently widely used for patients with cancer, was used to evaluate TSAs. The TSS contains 9 questions on taste alteration, 5 on smell alteration, and 2 open-ended questions on personal experiences/feelings and the effect(s) of TSAs on quality of life.

The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) was used to measure quality of life. FACT-B measures the 5 domains of emotional well-being, physical well-being, social/family well-being, functional well-being, and breast cancer-specific areas.

Of the 121 patients, 28% were between 35 and 39 years old, 84% were living with a spouse, 54% had stage II breast cancer, and 64% were receiving taxane-based chemotherapy.

In total, 102 patients (84%) experienced TSAs associated with chemotherapy, with 51 patients experiencing changes to both taste and smell. More than half of patients (53%) reported experiencing severe TSAs. Severity of TSAs was significantly associated with decreased quality of life as measured by FACT-B. The correlated domains from FACT-B were physical well-being, functional well-being, and breast cancer-related areas. Notably, women living with a spouse experienced less severe TSAs.

These results suggest oncology nurses should be aware of whether patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy are experiencing TSAs. Additionally, patient education to avoid bitter foods and foods with strong smells might be helpful.

Study limitations include participant recruiting via convenience sampling, making it hard to generalize to a broader patient population of women with breast cancer; the TSS was translated but had not been previously used in Korea and lacks verification of validity; and the associations between TSAs and quality of life in chemotherapy could be due to factors not captured by this study.

“Based on the results of this study, it is crucial to develop a supportive care plan to manage TSAs in women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy,” the authors concluded.

“Finally, the study results may provide insights about caring for Korean immigrant women or Asian women living in different countries.”

Reference

An HJ and Kang SJ. The relationship between taste and smell alterations and quality of life among women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2023;50(4),499-508. doi:10.1188/23.ONF.499-508