Changes in chemosensory perception, food preferences and emotional responses to foods in cancer patients during the early stages of chemotherapy: an exploratory study

The prevalence of chemosensory disorders among cancer patients is large and may affect preferences and patients' relationship with foods. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of chemotherapy on chemosensory perception and the impact of self-reported alterations on food experience, specifically on food preferences and emotions elicited by foods in cancer patients during the first cycles of chemotherapy. The data considered here are related to the observations before the start of therapy (T0), after the first (T1), the second (T2) and the fourth (T4) cycle of chemotherapy.

The study shows that chemotherapy induced a variety of chemosensory alterations and disturbances, from self-reported alterations such as phantogeusia and parageusia to decrease of sweet (at lower concentration) and salty (at lower and higher concentration) perception. Self-reported alterations were associated with an increase in negative emotions towards preferred foods after the first cycle of therapy. Self-reported decline in tastes was not associated with changes in preferences, while general taste alterations and parageusia were associated with a change in preference for sweet/bitter foods after the 2nd, and discomfort after the 4th cycle of therapy.

These findings suggest that chemosensory alterations begin early during chemotherapy and progressively worsen, with significant implications for patients' food choices and for their emotional wellbeing. Emotional responses to food may serve as early indicators of sensory-related distress, even before actual changes in preferences occur. This highlights the need for timely personalized supportive interventions to mitigate the impact of these side effects on patients' quality of life.