The short answer
Some cancer treatments can change the way food tastes or smells. Food may seem to have no taste, or it may taste metallic, too salty, or just different. These changes often improve after treatment ends. Your care team and a registered dietitian can suggest ways to make eating easier.
Taste changes (called dysgeusia) are a known side effect of some cancer treatments.
Radiation therapy to the head and neck may change how sweet, sour, bitter, and salty things taste.
Some chemotherapy drugs can cause an unpleasant chemical or metallic taste in the mouth.
Simple changes — like trying different or cold foods, marinating meats, or using plastic utensils — help many people.
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The full explanation.
The simple version
Cancer treatment can change the way food tastes and smells. Food may seem to have no taste at all, or it may not taste the way it used to. Doctors call a change in taste dysgeusia. It is one of several mouth and throat problems that cancer treatment can cause.
These changes can be discouraging — a favorite meal may suddenly taste wrong. The good news is that there are many small adjustments people try, and your health care team can help you find what works for you.
Why taste changes happen
Cancer treatments can affect the mouth, throat, and the cells inside them:
- Radiation therapy to the head and neck may harm the salivary glands and tissues in the mouth. It may cause a change in how sweet, sour, bitter, and salty things taste.
- Some types of chemotherapy and immunotherapy can harm cells in the mouth, throat, and lips. Chemotherapy drugs may cause an unpleasant chemical or metallic taste in the mouth.
Taste changes often come along with other mouth and throat problems, such as dry mouth, mouth sores, or sensitivity to hot or cold foods.
What it can feel like
According to the National Cancer Institute, food may seem to have little or no taste, or it may not taste the way it used to. Your sense of smell may change too. Red meat is a common example — for some people it starts to taste strange or metallic.
Things people discuss with their care team
Your health care team may suggest steps like these to manage taste changes:
- Try different foods to find the ones that taste best to you right now. Cold foods may also help.
- Add flavor. If food tastes bland, marinating foods or adding spices can improve the flavor.
- Swap proteins. If red meat tastes strange, other high-protein foods — chicken, eggs, fish, peanut butter, turkey, beans, or dairy — may taste better.
- Balance strong tastes. If foods taste salty, bitter, or acidic, sweetening them can help.
- Skip the metal. If foods taste metallic, plastic utensils and non-metal cooking dishes may make a difference.
- Freshen your mouth. Sugar-free lemon drops, gum, or mints can help with a bad taste in the mouth.
A registered dietitian can also help you find good food choices while your sense of taste is changed. Checking and gently cleaning your mouth every day — and telling your team about any sores, white spots, pain, or sensitivity — is part of caring for your mouth during treatment.
Why it matters to speak up
Mouth problems become more serious when they interfere with eating and drinking, because that can lead to dehydration or malnutrition. Taste changes are not just an annoyance — they can affect how well you eat, and eating well helps you keep up your strength during treatment.
Worth a call to your care team
When to call your care team: Call your doctor or nurse if you have pain in your mouth, lips, or throat that makes it difficult to eat, drink, or sleep, or if you have a fever of 100.5 °F (38 °C) or higher.
Will my taste come back?
Many people want to know how long these changes last. The answer depends on your treatment, so it is a good question for your care team. People receiving radiation therapy to the head and neck sometimes ask whether supplements such as zinc could help their sense of taste return after treatment — NCI lists this as a question to raise with your doctor rather than something to try on your own.
Words to know
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Common questions
▸Why does food taste different during cancer treatment?
Some cancer treatments affect the mouth and throat. Radiation therapy to the head and neck may change how sweet, sour, bitter, and salty things taste. Chemotherapy drugs may cause an unpleasant chemical or metallic taste. Food may also seem to have little or no taste.
▸What can help when food tastes metallic?
The National Cancer Institute suggests switching to plastic utensils and non-metal cooking dishes if foods taste metallic. If red meat tastes strange, other high-protein foods such as chicken, eggs, fish, peanut butter, turkey, beans, or dairy products may work better.
▸Do taste changes ever affect smell too?
Yes. NCI notes that treatment can change your sense of taste or smell. Foods may not taste or smell the way they used to, which can make eating less appealing.
▸When are mouth and taste problems serious?
Mouth problems are more serious when they get in the way of eating and drinking, because that can lead to dehydration or malnutrition. Call your doctor or nurse if pain in your mouth, lips, or throat makes it hard to eat, drink, or sleep, or if you have a fever of 100.5 °F (38 °C) or higher.
Questions to ask your doctor
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