Impact of a Sensory Rehabilitation Program on Olfactory-gustatory Alterations in Patients Treated With Chemotherapy for Haematological Cancer

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Haematological Cancer; Multiple Myeloma; Olfactivo-gustatory Disorder; Lymphoma

• Registration Number: NCT04716153
• Lead Sponsor: University Hospital, Montpellier

Brief Summary

Proposition of a sensory rehabilitation program that could reduce the olfactory-gustatory alterations in patients who have been treated with chemotherapy for Haematological Cancer, and also improve their life quality, psychological well-being, and nutrition.

Detailed Description

Disturbances in taste and smell affect a considerable proportion of patients treated with chemotherapy. In hematology, dysgeusia depends on the type pathology and the treatments themselves. It impacts the quality of life, leads to significant emotional and social consequences, affects the intake, weight and nutritional status of patients.

Olfactory-taste disorders can be assessed using subjective and objective tests. There are no international clinical recommendations for the management of taste and olfactory disturbances associated with chemotherapy in hematological cancers. Also, this study proposes to evaluate a taste and olfaction rehabilitation program based on national standards and recent research. It will help fill gaps in the assessment and management of patients treated for Haematological cancer.

Hypothesis is that this sensory rehabilitation program should make it possible to reduce the olfactory-gustatory changes in patients who have been treated with Chemotherapy for Haematological cancer and significantly improve their quality of life, their psychological well-being and their nutrition.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-01-15
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-01-15
• Study First Posted: 2021-01-20
• Study Start: 2021-06-25
• Status Verified: 2025-06
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-06-17
• Last Update Posted: 2025-06-18
• Primary Completion: 2028-09
• Study Completion: 2028-12

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 54

Inclusion Criteria

• Age between 18 and ≤ 75 years old
• Patient with olfactory or gustatory disorders
• Patient who has completed chemotherapy for haematological cancer

Exclusion Criteria

• Eating disorder known prior to anti-cancer treatment, bulimic, anorexic or binge eating disorder (DSM-V criteria)
• Refusal to sign the free and informed consent
• Hypersensitivity to one of the components of liposomal sprays (Liposaliva® or liponasal®)
• COVID + patient in the previous 3 months
• Performance status ECOG 3 or 4
• Patient included in another clinical trial modifying taste / olfaction
• Artificial nutrition post-chemotherapy
• Known food allergies
• Having a reading level in French that may interfere with a good understanding of the protocol and the questionnaires
• Presenting visual or hearing deficits uncorrected to normal and which may affect the proper completion of the questionnaires
• Patient under curatorship or tutorship.
• Patient deprived of liberty
• Pregnant or breastfeeding patient
• Not be affiliated with a French social security scheme or beneficiary of such a scheme

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Assessment of the olfactometry	3 months	Evolution of the Score of the "Sniffin'sticks" test from the initial score (V0), which itself includes an olfactory discrimination, olfactory threshold and olfactory identification score (with a cut-off of ≤ 15 for anosmia, ≥ for normonosmia and hypoanosmia for a score between 15 and 30)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Variation of Taste and Smell Survey score	up to 6 months	Variation of the taste and Smell Survey score
Assessment of the physical activity	up to 6 months	assessed by the score at GPAQ scale (Bull, Maslin, \& Armstrong, 2009)
Variation of the patient weight	up to 6 months	assessed by BMI between the beginning and the end of the study
Assessment of the gustometry	up to 6 months	Score in the "Taste Strips" test, Hypoageusia scores being for participants aged 18 to 40, \<19 for women and \<17 for men; for participants aged 41 to 60, score \<15 for women and 9 for men; for participants over 60, score \<10.2 for women and \<9 for men
Assessment of the Quality of life	Up to 6 months	Quality of life scores, obtained on the FACT-G scale. This is a 27-point self-administered questionnaire that measures the quality of life of patients with cancer. The FACT-G measures physical, functional, social / family factors, and emotional well-being as well as physician / patient relationship satisfaction and concerns. All items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale based on the week prior to the assessment.
Assessment of the Psychological distress	u pto 6 months	The psychological distress score objectified by the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). This self-questionnaire, validated in French, contains 14 items. It is simple, sensitive and specific. It has been validated in cancer patients, that it is rapid (completion time around 5 minutes), and allows the calculation of 2 sub-scores for anxiety and depression in addition to an overall level. Finally, this tool is sensitive to changes both during the course of medical illnesses and in response to psychopharmacological interventions.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hematology Department, University Hospital Center; 🇫🇷 Montpellier, France