Taste Alteration in Children with Cancer Before and During Chemotherapy

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: 3, 132 - 138, 31.05.2025

Sabiha Uvalı , Elif Bilsin Kocamaz

https://doi.org/10.16899/jcm.1648812

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted to investigate the taste alteration before and during chemotherapy in children with cancer.
Materials and Methods: It is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The population of the study consisted of children aged 8-18 years who were followed up and received chemotherapy in the pediatric hematology and oncology clinic of a University Medical Faculty Oncology Hospital. A Child Description Form, the Taste Alteration Scale for Children Receiving Chemotherapy (TAS-CRC) and the Scale of Subjective Total Taste Acuity (SSTTA) were used to collect the data.
Results: It was determined that 13.3% of the children before chemotherapy, 53.3% in the 3rd week of chemotherapy and 66.7% in the 6th week of chemotherapy experienced taste changes. It was determined that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the TAS-CRC administered before chemotherapy and at the 3rd and 6th week of chemotherapy. In addition, taste acuity was found to be higher in the 3rd and 6th week of chemotherapy compared to before chemotherapy.
Conclusion: It was determined that both taste alteration and taste acuity in children were higher in the 3rd and 6th week of chemotherapy compared to pre-chemotherapy. Since taste alteration and increased taste acuity in children undergoing chemotherapy can adversely affect their nutrition, children should be regularly monitored in terms of height, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI).

Keywords

Chemotherapy , nursing , taste alteration

Ethical Statement

Written approval for the research was obtained before commencement from the institution where it was conducted and from a University clinical research ethical committee (IRB approval period: between February 2021 and September 2022) (IRB No. 2020/296). Verbal and written consent to participation was obtained once information concerning the research had been given to the children and their parents before data collection commenced.

Kanserli Çocuklarda Kemoterapi Öncesi ve Kemoterapi Sırasında Tat Alma Değişikliği

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışma kanserli çocuklarda kemoterapi öncesi ve kemoterapi sırasında tat alma değişikliğini incelemek amacıyla yapılmıştır.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı ve kesitsel tipte bir araştırmadır. Araştırmanın evrenini bir Üniversitenin Tıp Fakültesi Onkoloji Hastanesi pediatri hematoloji ve onkoloji kliniğinde izlenen ve kemoterapi alan 8-18 yaş arasındaki çocuklar oluşturmuştur. Verilerin toplanmasında Çocuk Tanıtım Formu, Kemoterapi Alan Çocuklar İçin Tat Alma Değişikliği Ölçeği (KAÇ-TADÖ) ve Subjektif Total Tat Keskinliği Ölçeği (STTKÖ) kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: Çocukların kemoterapi öncesinde %13.3’nün, kemoterapinin 3. haftasında %53.3’ünün ve kemoterapinin 6. haftasında %66.7’sinin tat alma değişikliği yaşadığı belirlenmiştir. Kemoterapi öncesi, kemoterapinin 3. ve 6. haftasında uygulanan KAÇ-TADÖ puan ortalamaları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark olduğu belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca kemoterapi öncesine göre kemoterapinin 3. ve 6. haftasında tat keskinliği kaybının daha fazla olduğu saptanmıştır.
Sonuç: Çocuklarda hem tat alma değişikliğinin hem de tat keskinliğinin kemoterapi öncesine göre kemoterapinin 3. ve 6. haftasında daha fazla olduğu belirlenmiştir. Kemoterapi alan çocuklarda tat alma değişikliği ve tat keskinliği beslenmelerini olumsuz yönde etkileyebileceğinden, çocukların boy, kilo ve Beden Kitle İndeksi (BKİ) açısından düzenli olarak izlenmesi gerekir.

Keywords

Hemşirelik , kemoterapi , tat alma değişikliği

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