Taste alteration and malnutrition risks in chemotherapy patients

The purpose of this study was to examine the taste change and the risk of malnutrition on patients undergoing chemotherapy. To participate in this study, the volunteer ones among the patients who applied and received chemotherapy between December 2016 – July 2017 at Tekirdag Namik Kemal University Health and Research Centre Internal Medicine Clinic and Daily Chemotherapy Unit formed the sampling (n=200) of the study. "Patient Recieving Chemotherapy Introducing Form", "Chemotherapyrelated Taste Change Scale (CİTAS)" and "Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST)" were used while collecting data. The forms were filled by the researcher who used face-to-face interview technique. Kolmogorov-Smirnov distribution test, Pearson's Chi-squared test, Mann Whitney's U test, Kruskal Wallis test and Spearman's correllation analysis were used while evaluating data. It was determined that 59% of the patients who participated in the study were males and the average age was 58.22±12.63. It was found out that lung cancer (23%) is in the first place among the most common cancer types. It is found out that the chemotherapy protocols used on the patients who participated in the study are consist of cisplatin/carboplatin (17%), eloxatin (15%), 5 Fu folinic acid and paclitaxel/doxetaxel (12%). While comparing the patients according to their CİTAS lower dimensions, a reasonable difference was found out at age, gender, diagnostic groups, chemotherapy protocols, weight loss and dry mouth (p<0.05). It was determined that there is a reasonable difference between "Phantogeusia and Parageusia", "General taste alterations" from lower dimensions of CİTAS and MUST. It was concluded that the patients having taste change have high risk of malnutrition. According to the results, taking taste change and risk of malnutrition into account; to give necessary importance to taste change, to do more extensive researches on this topic and diet counceling planning may be recommended. Keywords : Cancer, chemotherapy, malnutrition, taste alteration