Project
TASTY: Taste steering and taste training forpatients with cancer
Taste and smell changes due to chemotherapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitors are common. This reduces the quality of life of cancer patients and their loved ones. Unfortunately, there are no proven effective treatments.
A national consortium, consisting of researchers from the UMCG in Groningen, the Ikazia Hospital in Rotterdam, ACTA (Amsterdam), and Wageningen University, has recently been awarded a large grant from the KWF Dutch Cancer Society to improve taste problems in cancer patients: “TASTY: Taste steering and taste and smell training in patients with cancer: a multidisciplinary patient-centered approach”.
The researchers will conduct two clinical studies. The first study examines the effect of taste steering, by adapting foods to their altered flavor perception. In the second study, patients will taste and smell a standard set of tastants and odorants every day, to investigate the effectiveness of such taste and smell training. Because saliva production and composition play a crucial role in the development of taste and smell changes, investigations into the salivary flow and composition will provide more insight.
The research involves collaboration with 12 hospitals, chefs and dieticians to obtain a broad and complete picture of the issues patients face.
This research aims to provide cancer patients with tailored treatment and have a positive impact on their quality of life.