None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Project Aims - This project aims to assess the feasibility of conducting a study to determine a patient’s individual taste status prior to receiving cancer treatment, and how these radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments impact on their taste and dietary behaviour after treatment completion. Who is it for? - You may be eligible for this study if you are aged 18 years or older and you are undergoing radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy treatment for head and neck squamous cell cancer. Study Details - Participants who enrol in this study will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires about their diet and taste perceptions prior to starting treatment, and again at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after treatment completion. It is anticipated that participants will be able to complete these questionnaires & assessments via a telehealth appointment of approximately 45 minutes, and an additional 30 minutes completing an online survey, at each of the timepoints described. Study Outcomes - It is hoped this research will provide valuable data on the effect cancer treatments may have on the taste and smell perceptions of patients with head and neck cancer and how this impacts on their ability to eat. This data will also be used to inform a larger study to identify possible genetic markers for these individual variations.
Interventions
- Participants will be asked to attend 4 appointments (either in person or via telehealth) to complete clinical assessments and questionnaires as described below at baseline, and then at 1, 3, and 6 months post treatment
- Participants will be asked to complete the following questionnaires and/or clinical assessments:
1. Weight & height will be measured using scales and stadiometer and nutritional status will be assessed using the Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment tool
2. Taste an
- Participants will be asked to attend 4 appointments (either in person or via telehealth) to complete clinical assessments and questionnaires as described below at baseline, and then at 1, 3, and 6 months post treatment - Participants will be asked to complete the following questionnaires and/or clinical assessments: 1. Weight & height will be measured using scales and stadiometer and nutritional status will be assessed using the Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment tool 2. Taste and smell perception will be assessed using the Monell Flavor Quiz 3. An individual’s inborn “taster status” is primarily determined by genetic variation within the bitter taste receptor gene TAS2R38, which determines the ability to perceive a specific bitter substance phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). Therefore patients’ taster status will be determined by their taste scores of PTC in the Monell Flavor Quiz. 4. Dietary intake will be assessed using the online Automated Self Administered 24-hour recall (ASA24-2016) 5. Side effects will be assessed using the CTCAE v5 tool 6. Acceptability of assessment tools will be assessed using a brief questionnaire (Likert scale) - Each observation session (at baseline and 1 ,3, 6 months post treatment) is anticipated to take a total of 45minutes to complete with the researcher and an additional 30minutes completing the online dietary questionnaire. - Participants will attend a face-to-face study visit for their baseline assessment but at all other time points the observation will be conducted via videoconference. The dietary assessment is completed by the participant online at home. - The primary research investigator will be responsible for conducting the observation sessions and assessments.
Sponsors
Teresa Brown
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
All patients aged > 18 years undergoing curative intent definitive radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy (unilateral or bilateral) for oral cavity, oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal HNSCC at RBWH who can provide written informed consent. Participants will also need to have appropriate technology (e.g. computer/tablet/smart phone with internet connection) to support telehealth sessions and completion of the online dietary assessments.
Exclusion criteria
Age <18, unable to communicate in English, inability to provide written informed consent, sensory (taste) dysfunction of other medical causes (including history of traumatic brain injury, history of neurological disorders, history of middle ear surgery/infection) and current smoker.
Outcome results
None listed