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Approach to Taste Alteration in Patients with Cancer

1.

Gaziantep Üniversitesi, Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi, Hemşirelik Bölümü, Gaziantep

2.

Ege Üniversitesi, Hemşirelik Fakültesi, İzmir

Arch Health Sci Res 2018; 5: 259-266
DOI: 10.17681/hsp.359196
Read: 4178 Downloads: 947 Published: 15 December 2019

Taste alteration is one of the most common and important problems in patients with cancer. Some patients were defined taste alteration as metallic, bitter or bad taste in the mouth, sensitivity, insensitivity to sweet taste and bitter taste intolerance. The etiologies of taste alteration are not fully known in patients with cancer. Cancer treatment is influenced taste alteration by physiological and psychological causes. In patients with cancer, loss of appetite, dislike of some foods, change in food preferences, inadequate feeding, inadequate energy intake, weight loss, malnutrition, poor prognosis, reduced quality of life, stress, depression, dryness of the mouth, prolonged hospital stay, impaired smell, deterioration of the immune system and reduction compliance to treatment regimen develops as a result of taste alteration. Taste alteration are difficult to measure and treat. It has been determined that there is a lack of supportive strategies based on evidence taste alteration to describe, classify and manage these problems. It has been determined that prophylactic treatments are not successful. For this reason, the management of taste alteration remains a problem in care and treatment of patients with cancer.

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EISSN 2687-4644