Oral Somatosensory Perception of Cancer Patients: Variability and Influence on Eating Experience

Malnutrition is common among cancer patients, particularly those with head and neck cancer (HNC), attributed to changes in their food perception namely taste and smell. Food perception is not only limited to taste and smell but also somatosensation (texture, temperature, and chemesthetic sensations such as spiciness of chilli), which very limited studies have investigated. We aimed to investigate the somatosensory perception of cancer patients and its influence on their eating behavior.

Study 1 compared HNC patients to healthy controls found that HNC patients had lower salivary function and reduced sensitivity to food texture, temperature, and chemesthetic sensations. Subjective measurements showed that sensory alterations and oral symptoms were associated with decreased food preference and difficulties in eating. Study 2 extended the investigation on the subjective perception of various cancer patients. It revealed similar findings that sensory alterations and oral symptoms predicted sensory-related food preferences and eating behavior. Study 3 focused on designing food concepts adapted to the perception and preference of cancer patients.

Overall, this thesis provided evidence that somatosensory alterations and oral symptoms are experienced by cancer patients, which can influence their food preferences and eating behavior. It highlights the importance of considering not only taste and smell but also somatosensory and oral comfort when designing food solutions for cancer patients.