Clinical trial · Interventional
Prophylactic Intervention for Dysgeusia in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Following Radio(Chemo)Therapy
Prophylactic Intervention for Dysgeusia in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Following Radio(Chemo)Therapy: a Randomized Control Trial
- 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)
Taste changes, also called dysgeusia, affect 56-76% of patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy (with or without chemotherapy). These taste changes can make eating difficult, lead to weight loss, and reduce quality of life. Despite how common and impactful this problem is, there are very few standardized tools in speech-language therapy to assess or prevent it. The aim of this study is to develop and test a preventive rehabilitation program for taste function. Eighty patients will be divided into two groups. The experimental group will receive a specific speech-language therapy intervention focused on taste for four weeks. This intervention includes: salivary gland massage to stimulate saliva production, internal cryotherapy to keep the mouth moist and improve sensitivity, and taste training using four basic tastes at different intensity levels. The effects of the intervention will be assessed before radiotherapy (with or without chemotherapy), at the end of treatment, and then 1, 3, 6 months, and 2 years after treatment. Assessment will include clinical tests, saliva measurements, taste detection and recognition tests, and quality-of-life questionnaires. This clinical intervention aims to detect taste changes early and prevent them, helping to improve patients' comfort and nutrition.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head and Neck Cancer (H&N) | Malignant Head and Neck Neoplasm | ALIAS | 0.85 |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prophylactic dysgeusia intervention | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Experimental group
- description
- 4 intervention sessions for dysgeusia and 6 evaluation sessions
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: Prophylactic dysgeusia intervention
- type
- NO_INTERVENTION
- label
- Control group
- description
- 5 evaluation sessions
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Quantitative taste perception
- timeFrame
- From baseline to 6 months post (chemo)radiotherapy
- description
- The primary outcome is the change in quantitative taste perception from baseline to each follow-up evaluation. Taste perception is assessed using a 10-point Likert-scale-based gustatory evaluation, measuring perceived taste modalities (sweet, salty, bitter, and sour). The primary endpoint is defined as the presence or absence of improvement relative to baseline, assessed at Evaluation 2 (end of the intervention, corresponding to week 3 of radiotherapy), Evaluation 3 (1 month after completion of radiotherapy), Evaluation 4 (3 months after completion of radiotherapy), and Evaluation 5 (6 months after completion of radiotherapy).
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * HNC patients undergoing (chemo)radiotherapy Exclusion Criteria: * cognitive impairments * dementia * altered states of consciousness
References
Publications (0)
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