Certain types of cancer and its treatment can change your senses of taste and smell. Common causes include:
Taste and smell changes can often affect your appetite. They might be described as:
Usually these changes go away after treatment ends, but sometimes they can last a long time.
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
Besser J, Grant BL, American Cancer Society. What to Eat During Cancer Treatment. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society; 2018.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Clinical practice guidelines in oncology: Palliative care. Version 2.2019. Accessed at www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/palliative.pdf on January 21, 2020.
Oncology Nursing Society (ONS). Anorexia. Accessed at https://www.ons.org/pep/anorexia on January 21, 2020.
Last Revised: February 1, 2020
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