Clinical trial · Observational
Metallic Taste Before, During and After Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer
Metallic Taste Before, During and After Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer : Etiologies and Impact on Quality of Life
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Metallic taste in head and neck cancer is widely under-estimated in the literature. Its causes are multiple and poorly defined. Though it has a strong impact on the nutritional status. The main objective of the TORCAD project is to test the hypothesis that intraoral lipoperoxidation is associated to metallic taste onset before, during and after treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC). The secondary goals are to evaluate the involvement of others physiopathological factors in metallic taste: (i) additional chemical modification in the saliva; (ii) release of inhibition of the facial nerve on the glossopharyngeal nerve; presence of an intraoral electric current; food pleasantness and acceptability; quality of life.
Conditions
Conditions (1)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metallic Taste | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| bovine lactoferrin | Biological | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- label
- MT
- description
- patients complaining about metallic taste before, during or after treatment of head and neck cancer.
- interventionNames
- Biological: bovine lactoferrin
- label
- No-MT
- description
- patients not complaining about metallic taste before, during or after treatment of head and neck cancer.
- interventionNames
- Biological: bovine lactoferrin
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Change from Baseline salivary malondialdehyde level within one year after treatment completion
- timeFrame
- Day 0 (before any treatment), before the irradiation (about 1 month ½ after Day 0), half of the irradiation (approximately 3 months after Day 0), end of irradiation (approximately 4 months after Day 0), 6-10-14 and 16 months after Day 0
- description
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Any head and neck cancer * Before any treatment and treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy) * Before the appearance of the metallic taste symptom * Age ≥ 18 years * Estimated life expectancy ≥ 6 months. * Affiliation to a Social security system * Patient who has given written consent signed before any specific procedure of the protocol Exclusion Criteria: * History of cancer (head and neck or other) that could be a confounding factor (dysgeusia, dysosmia, salivary composition disorder) * Pregnant woman (frequent dysgeusia and dysosmia) * Total laryngectomy (treatment-induced hyposmia) * Early cancer recurrence (\< 6 months after the end of the last treatment) because the taste, smell, and/or composition of the saliva can be altered by the cancer itself * Persons deprived of liberty, under guardianship or under curatorship or unable to submit to the medical follow-up of the test for geographical, social or psychic reasons
References
Publications (1)
- DERIVEDBuiret G, Brignot H, Septier C, Thomas-Danguin T, Feron G. The nutritional impact of metallic taste in head and neck cancer patients: explorations and clinical implications. Support Care Cancer. 2024 Sep 11;32(10):651. doi: 10.1007/s00520-024-08854-z. PMID 39256281