1. Introduction
nausea, Chemotherapy-induced taste, taste bud sensory afferents, epilepsy, toxicity, cancer, Taste alterations, arthritis, constipation, taste alterations, malnutrition, weight loss
EPILEPSY, CANCER, DISEASE, ARTHRITIS, ADVERSE EFFECT, ADVERSE EFFECTS, MALNUTRITION
Introduction: Taste alteration is a common adverse effect of chemotherapy. This study aimed to investigate the effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on Lean Body Mass (LBM), and taste alterations during oxaliplatin- or paclitaxel-based chemotherapy. Methods: LBM was estimated by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and taste perception was evaluated by a randomized sensory test of six samples: sweet, salt, and umami, all in weak and strong concentrations. Taste perceptions were scored on visual analog scales. Patients in the intervention group received oral CBD 300 mg/day for 8 days; patients in the control group did not. Patients were followed for three cycles of chemotherapy. Results: Twenty-two/ten patients (intervention/control group) were eligible. No effects on LBM were demonstrated. At baseline, the control group was able to differentiate between weak and strong saltiness and weak and strong sweetness but lost this ability after three cycles of chemotherapy. At baseline, the intervention group was unable to differentiate between the concentrations but gained the ability to significantly differentiate between weak and strong sweetness (Chemotherapy-induced taste alteration is a common adverse effect of cancer chemotherapy. Taste alterations and other adverse effects such as constipation and nausea often result in malnutrition leading to weight loss, decreased quality of life, and increased risk of treatment toxicity [The use of medical cannabis and cannabinoids in the management of chemotherapy-induced side effects has a significant global interest [Although cannabinoids have been used for the treatment of nausea, arthritis, and epilepsy, adverse effects limit treatment possibilities [The effect of CBD on symptoms and disease has primarily been investigated in animals and in patients diagnosed with epilepsy [The exact pathophysiological mechanisms of taste alterations are unknown, but increased production of inflammatory cytokines and denervation of taste bud sensory afferents have been implicated [The effect of CBD on chemosensory perception has, to the best of our knowledge, not been investigated in humans previously. This pilot study investigates the potential effect of CBD on taste alteration in patients receiving chemotherapy.