Taste Changes During Cancer Treatment

This page is for people whose sense of taste has changed during cancer treatment. It covers why it happens, ideas that may help, and when to call your care team.

Chemotherapy, radiation to the head and neck, and some other cancer drugs can all change how food tastes. Food might taste bland, metallic, bitter, or just different than before. Dry mouth, a common side effect of treatment, can also change the way food tastes.

Ideas that help some people:

• If meat tastes off, try other proteins like beans, eggs, fish, or dairy.
• If food tastes metallic, use plastic utensils instead of metal ones.
• If food tastes bland, marinate meats or add tart flavors, like vinegar or fruit juice.
• Keep trying different foods and seasonings to find the ones that taste best to you.
• Taste changes often get better after treatment ends.

Sipping fluids through the day and keeping water nearby can help. Sugar-free candy or gum can boost saliva. Ask your team about saliva substitutes if dryness is severe, since it can worsen both taste changes and your risk of mouth sores or tooth decay.

Taste changes alone are rarely dangerous, but they can lead to eating too little, which is a real concern during treatment. Tell your team if taste changes are causing you to lose weight, avoid eating almost entirely, or feel discouraged about meals. This is a common, treatable problem, not something to just push through alone.

• Ring your care team at once, day or night, if your temperature reaches 100.4°F (38°C) or higher while you are having chemotherapy. The CDC treats a fever during chemotherapy as an emergency, because it may be the only sign of an infection that can turn life-threatening fast. Should you fail to get through in a few minutes, go to an emergency department and tell them you are on chemotherapy.
• Call 911 or go to the ER if you have an emergency, such as trouble breathing or fainting. Do not drive yourself.
• Call your care team right away, day or night, if you see white patches, sores, or a white coating in your mouth during cancer treatment, or your mouth is sore and getting worse. NCI lists a white coating among infection signs and says to tell your team as soon as you notice changes.
• Call your care team right away if pain in your mouth or throat makes it hard to eat, drink, or sleep, food or liquid catches in your throat, or you cannot drink enough to stay hydrated.
• Call your care team right away if you are dizzy, weak, or passing only small amounts of very dark urine.
• Call your care team right away if you start to lose weight or are eating far less than usual. NCI says to speak with your team right away about weight loss.

• Is dry mouth part of what's affecting my taste, and can it be treated?
• Would a dietitian have practical ideas suited to my exact taste changes?
• Are my taste changes expected to improve after this phase of treatment?
• Is my weight or eating a concern your team is already tracking?
• Are there mouth rinses or products that might help both taste and dryness?

• National Cancer Institute — Nutrition During Cancer Treatment
• National Cancer Institute — Oral Complications of Cancer Therapies (PDQ) Patient Version
• National Cancer Institute — Mouth and Throat Problems and Cancer Treatment
• CDC — Fever and Cancer Treatment