very time the salivary chemotherapy drugs, it is gland is in most need of important to be aware of nourishment during the fact that these irradiation or decrements are quite chemotherapy. Although possibly the result of a the common complaint is learning process. Learned that food does not taste taste (or food) aversions good. many of the preceding additional can occur as a result of factors are also ionizing radiation important and the exposure (45). sensory involvement is Saccharinflavored water, not limited to taste a normally preferred alone. Many, but not all. taste solution by rats. of these patients may recover their taste and was presented joy of food several simultaneously with a months after irradiation sublethal exposure to is terminated. gamma rays. Several days after this pairing of the Changes in Blood Chemistry taste of saccharin with the irradiation. the rats Changes in perceived avoided the normally taste by cancer patients could also be due to preferred solution in changes in blood subsequent preference chemistry. Bradley (44) tests. Animals that has shown received only gamma experimentally that some e.xposure, i.e. . no chemicals injected saccharin was paired intravascularly stimulate with the irradiation. the taste cells. [n clinical tests. chemicals injected showed a strong into the blood were preference for the often used to measure sweetened solution in arm-to-tongue subsequent tests. One circulation time. It is not could in- surprising that some 700 / 48 patients complain about bitter tastes during a fer that an animal chemotherapy treatment experiencing nausea or and many patients report another repugnant both bitter and metallic sensation due to tastes long after the irradiation exposure treatment is completed. associates it with the ingestion of a food or Conditioned Ayersions liquid and therefore avoids its further When studying ingestion. Smith and decrements in Morrig (46) reported that sensation associated with a taste aversion could be radiotherapy and conditioned by pairing
very time the salivary gland is in most need of nourishment during irradiation or chemotherapy. Although the common complaint is that food does not taste good. many of the preceding additional factors are also important and the sensory involvement is not limited to taste alone. Many, but not all. of these patients may recover their taste and joy of food several months after irradiation is terminated. Changes in Blood Chemistry Changes in perceived taste by cancer patients could also be due to changes in blood chemistry. Bradley (44) has shown experimentally that some chemicals injected intravascularly stimulate the taste cells. [n clinical tests. chemicals injected into the blood were often used to measure arm-to-tongue circulation time. It is not surprising that some patients complain about bitter tastes during a chemotherapy treatment and many patients report both bitter and metallic tastes long after the treatment is completed. Conditioned Ayersions When studying decrements in sensation associated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy drugs, it is important to be aware of the fact that these decrements are quite possibly the result of a learning process. Learned taste (or food) aversions can occur as a result of ionizing radiation exposure (45). Saccharinflavored water, a normally preferred taste solution by rats. was presented simultaneously with a sublethal exposure to gamma rays. Several days after this pairing of the taste of saccharin with the irradiation. the rats avoided the normally preferred solution in subsequent preference tests. Animals that received only gamma e.xposure, i.e. . no saccharin was paired with the irradiation. showed a strong preference for the sweetened solution in subsequent tests. One could in- 700 / 48 fer that an animal experiencing nausea or another repugnant sensation due to irradiation exposure associates it with the ingestion of a food or liquid and therefore avoids its further ingestion. Smith and Morrig (46) reported that a taste aversion could be conditioned by pairing
Beidler%20Smith%201991_Effects%20of%20Radiation%20Therapy%20and%20Drugs%20on%20Cell%20Turnover%20and%20Taste.docx