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Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy Volume 26, 2012 - Issue 2
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A Randomized, Placebo Controlled Trial of Oral Zinc for Chemotherapy-Related Taste and Smell Disorders

Laurel LyckholmLaurel Lyckholm, MD, is Professor of Hematology/Oncology and Palliative Care, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Steven P. Heddinger, MD, is a member of Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates, Cancer Center of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa, USA; Gwendolyn Parker, MS, FNP-C, is a clinician and research nurse at Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Patrick J. Coyne, MSN, APRN, FAAN, is Clinical Director, Pain and Palliative Care, Thomas Palliative Care Services, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Viswanathan Ramakrishnan, PhD, is Professor, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Thomas J. Smith, MD, is Professor and Director of Palliative Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; and Robert I. Henkin, MD, PhD, is Director of the Center for Molecular Nutrition and Sensory Disorders, and Clinical Director of The Taste and Smell Clinic, Washington, DC, USA.Correspondence[email protected]
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Steven P. HeddingerLaurel Lyckholm, MD, is Professor of Hematology/Oncology and Palliative Care, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Steven P. Heddinger, MD, is a member of Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates, Cancer Center of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa, USA; Gwendolyn Parker, MS, FNP-C, is a clinician and research nurse at Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Patrick J. Coyne, MSN, APRN, FAAN, is Clinical Director, Pain and Palliative Care, Thomas Palliative Care Services, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Viswanathan Ramakrishnan, PhD, is Professor, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Thomas J. Smith, MD, is Professor and Director of Palliative Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; and Robert I. Henkin, MD, PhD, is Director of the Center for Molecular Nutrition and Sensory Disorders, and Clinical Director of The Taste and Smell Clinic, Washington, DC, USA.
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Gwendolyn ParkerLaurel Lyckholm, MD, is Professor of Hematology/Oncology and Palliative Care, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Steven P. Heddinger, MD, is a member of Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates, Cancer Center of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa, USA; Gwendolyn Parker, MS, FNP-C, is a clinician and research nurse at Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Patrick J. Coyne, MSN, APRN, FAAN, is Clinical Director, Pain and Palliative Care, Thomas Palliative Care Services, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Viswanathan Ramakrishnan, PhD, is Professor, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Thomas J. Smith, MD, is Professor and Director of Palliative Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; and Robert I. Henkin, MD, PhD, is Director of the Center for Molecular Nutrition and Sensory Disorders, and Clinical Director of The Taste and Smell Clinic, Washington, DC, USA.
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Patrick J. CoyneLaurel Lyckholm, MD, is Professor of Hematology/Oncology and Palliative Care, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Steven P. Heddinger, MD, is a member of Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates, Cancer Center of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa, USA; Gwendolyn Parker, MS, FNP-C, is a clinician and research nurse at Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Patrick J. Coyne, MSN, APRN, FAAN, is Clinical Director, Pain and Palliative Care, Thomas Palliative Care Services, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Viswanathan Ramakrishnan, PhD, is Professor, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Thomas J. Smith, MD, is Professor and Director of Palliative Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; and Robert I. Henkin, MD, PhD, is Director of the Center for Molecular Nutrition and Sensory Disorders, and Clinical Director of The Taste and Smell Clinic, Washington, DC, USA.
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Viswanathan RamakrishnanLaurel Lyckholm, MD, is Professor of Hematology/Oncology and Palliative Care, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Steven P. Heddinger, MD, is a member of Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates, Cancer Center of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa, USA; Gwendolyn Parker, MS, FNP-C, is a clinician and research nurse at Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Patrick J. Coyne, MSN, APRN, FAAN, is Clinical Director, Pain and Palliative Care, Thomas Palliative Care Services, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Viswanathan Ramakrishnan, PhD, is Professor, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Thomas J. Smith, MD, is Professor and Director of Palliative Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; and Robert I. Henkin, MD, PhD, is Director of the Center for Molecular Nutrition and Sensory Disorders, and Clinical Director of The Taste and Smell Clinic, Washington, DC, USA.
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Thomas J. SmithLaurel Lyckholm, MD, is Professor of Hematology/Oncology and Palliative Care, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Steven P. Heddinger, MD, is a member of Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates, Cancer Center of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa, USA; Gwendolyn Parker, MS, FNP-C, is a clinician and research nurse at Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Patrick J. Coyne, MSN, APRN, FAAN, is Clinical Director, Pain and Palliative Care, Thomas Palliative Care Services, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Viswanathan Ramakrishnan, PhD, is Professor, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Thomas J. Smith, MD, is Professor and Director of Palliative Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; and Robert I. Henkin, MD, PhD, is Director of the Center for Molecular Nutrition and Sensory Disorders, and Clinical Director of The Taste and Smell Clinic, Washington, DC, USA.
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Robert I. HenkinLaurel Lyckholm, MD, is Professor of Hematology/Oncology and Palliative Care, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Steven P. Heddinger, MD, is a member of Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates, Cancer Center of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa, USA; Gwendolyn Parker, MS, FNP-C, is a clinician and research nurse at Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Patrick J. Coyne, MSN, APRN, FAAN, is Clinical Director, Pain and Palliative Care, Thomas Palliative Care Services, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA; Viswanathan Ramakrishnan, PhD, is Professor, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Thomas J. Smith, MD, is Professor and Director of Palliative Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; and Robert I. Henkin, MD, PhD, is Director of the Center for Molecular Nutrition and Sensory Disorders, and Clinical Director of The Taste and Smell Clinic, Washington, DC, USA.
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Pages 111-114 | Received 08 Mar 2012, Accepted 08 Mar 2012, Published online: 05 Jul 2012
 
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ABSTRACT

Abnormalities in taste and smell are commonly reported in patients receiving chemotherapy and may hinder appetite, dietary intake, nutritional well-being, and quality of life. Oral zinc has been used to treat taste and smell abnormalities in several altered physiologic states, including renal failure, liver disease, head trauma, and pregnancy, with varying results. The authors conducted a double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized clinic trial over 3 months. Eligible patients were those taking chemotherapy that had alterations in taste and/or smell. The measurement of the primary end point, improvement in altered taste and smell, was made using a 0–100 scale (100 describing no loss or distortion in taste and smell, and 0 describing the worst distortion or loss of taste and smell). Twenty-nine subjects were enrolled in each treatment group, of whom 31 were white, 26 African American, and 1 Native American. Forty-one patients were female. A wide range of cancer types was represented, with breast the most common (21 patients). The zinc dose was 220 mg orally twice daily (equivalent of 50 mg elemental zinc twice daily). There was no statistically significant improvement in loss or distortion of taste or smell with the addition of zinc. There was a trend toward improvement over time in all groups, except in the zinc group where there was a nonsignificant worsening in loss of smell over time. Zinc at standard doses did not provide significant benefit to taste or smell in patients receiving chemotherapy.

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