Effects of non-pharmacological interventions on chemotherapy-induced taste alterations among cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Wencan Cheng, Jia Fang, Duo Zhang et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed non-pharmacological interventions for chemotherapy-induced taste alterations in people with cancer. It included 13 randomized controlled trials involving 1049 participants, with 12 trials contributing to meta-analysis. Across interventions, the incidence of taste disorders was lower (RR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.61 to 0.86), perceived taste alterations improved, and objective taste function improved significantly for salty taste. Interventions included oral cryotherapy, photobiomodulation, traditional Chinese medicine-based approaches, dietary and nutritional strategies, and psycho-educational interventions.
Key findings
- Non-pharmacological interventions reduced taste disorder incidence (RR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.61 to 0.86).
- Perceived taste alterations improved (SMD: -1.21; 95% CI: -1.78 to -0.63).
- Objective taste function improved significantly for salty taste (SMD: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.56 to 1.12).
- Dietary and nutritional interventions reduced taste disorder incidence (RR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.32 to 0.91).
Why it matters
Taste changes during chemotherapy can be clinically significant. This synthesis suggests that non-drug approaches may help reduce their incidence or severity and may improve some aspects of taste function. The findings also indicate that effects differ across intervention types and taste outcomes, making standardized assessment important when evaluating supportive care.
What to keep in mind
The authors call for higher-quality randomized trials, standardized outcome assessments, and more diverse populations, indicating that the current evidence base remains limited.