Impact of taste/smell disturbances on dietary intake and cachexia-related quality of life in patients with advanced cancer

Purpose All five senses (i.e., sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch) are used to enjoy meals; however, impairments in sensory perception, which are common among cancer patients, seriously impact health and cause eating-related distress. Methods Using a self-report questionnaire, we surveyed patients with advanced cancer undergoing treatment at 11 palliative care centers. Multivariate analyses were conducted to explore the impact of taste and smell disturbances on dietary intake and cachexia-related quality of life (QOL). Dietary intake was assessed using the ingesta-Verbal/Visual Analog Scale, while taste and smell disturbances were assessed using an 11-point Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Cachexia-related QOL was assessed using the 12-item Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT) Anorexia/Cachexia Subscale. Results Overall, 378 patients provided consent to participate. After excluding patients with missing data, data were analyzed for 343 patients. Among them, 35.6% (n = 122; 95% CI 0.28–0.38) and 20.9% (n = 72; 95% CI 0.17–0.25) experienced disturbances in taste (NRS ≥ 1) and smell (NRS ≥ 1), respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that, independent of performance status and cancer cachexia, taste and smell disturbances were significantly associated with worse FAACT Anorexia/Cachexia Subscale scores and dietary intake. Conclusion More severe taste and smell disturbances were associated with poorer dietary intake and cachexia-related QOL. Diagnosing and treating such disturbances may improve dietary intake and cachexia-related QOL, regardless of performance status and cachexia. Additional research is required to establish effective treatment strategies for disturbances in taste and smell.