The Oncoflavour Study

University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cancer

Treatments: Other: Tasting of flavours

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Industry

Identifiers

NCT03525236

201700363

Details and patient eligibility

About

Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) are often prescribed for malnourished patients to help improve nutritional status. Commonly in cancer patients taste and smell alterations and side effects of treatment can affect the palatability and compliance to ONS. A variety of flavours and styles are available of ONS however research of the palatability of these in cancer patients is limited. This study aims to evaluate specific flavours created based on the taste changes occuring during treatment.

We aim to evaluate the patient liking and evaluation of 5 flavors in 3 different types of flavour-sensations:

• Warming/spicy sensation: to trigger the senses and bring new sensations
• Cooling/fresh sensation: to have a fresh mouthfeel and lighter base perception
• Neutral: to avoid that patients experience additional flavour and let them the opportunity to mix it with other food

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• > 18 years old
• Ability to complete and comprehend questionnaires provided
• Undergoing systemic cancer treatment (chemotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy)

Exclusion criteria

• Uncertainty about the willingness or ability of the patient to comply with the protocol requirements (no impairment and no cognitive impairments)
• Coexisting-morbidities affecting taste or smell function
• Lactose Intolerance or Galactosaemia
• Dysphagia
• Diabetics
• Food allergies/intolerances to ingredients present in the product
• No rejection of lemon, red fruits, exotic fruit, yellow fruit flavours.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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50 participants in 1 patient group

Taste of 5 flavors

Experimental group

Description:

Each patient will taste 5 products, in sequential-monadic test, randomized, one by one. Patients will take few sips of each study product, ideally in isolation (avoid influence of other patients) For each product tasted the subjects will be asked to answer a questionnaire including 1 question on the palatability of the product using a 10-point hedonic scale and a more detailed organoleptic evaluation of the product. Between product tastings, participants will have a 10 minutes break to rinse their mouth and fill in a questionnaire assessing sensory changes

Treatment:

Other: Tasting of flavours