Taste and smell enhancement in older cancer patients

随着年龄的增长，味觉和嗅觉能力会下降，而癌症等慢性疾病会加剧这些损害，这些疾病对老年人的影响不成比例。本研究的目的是开发一种改善食品风味的方法，以补偿气味和味道的变化，并改善老年癌症患者的免疫状态和生活质量。以前对没有癌症的虚弱老年人的研究表明，具有食物风味的食物的感官特性的强化与免疫状态和体力的改善有关。香料是气味分子的混合物，可以直接从天然产品中提取，也可以在对天然产品进行色谱和质谱分析后合成。例如，可以在鸡肉中添加模拟鸡肉香料，以及模拟胡萝卜。具体目的1.使用标准化的化学感觉试验方案(阶段1和阶段2)来表征接受化疗的老年癌症患者的味觉和气味障碍的类型、程度和时间过程。假设：老年癌症患者的味觉和嗅觉功能在化疗过程中会受到损害；化疗完成后，化学感觉功能会慢慢改善。具体目标2.确定接受化疗的老年癌症患者味觉和嗅觉功能障碍的类型、程度和时间进程如何影响生活质量(阶段1和阶段2)。假设：老年癌症患者的味觉和嗅觉功能障碍的程度与生活质量的衡量标准相关。具体目标3.确定与损失较小的老年癌症患者相比，必须添加到食物中以最大限度地提高食物偏好的调味量(阶段1和阶段2)。假设：与损失较小的老年癌症患者相比，有较大化学感觉损失的老年癌症患者需要更高浓度的味道来最大限度地提高食物偏好。具体目的4.评估食品增香对老年癌症患者免疫状态、生活质量和功能状态的影响(第二阶段)。假设：食物的风味增强会提高老年癌症患者的T和B淋巴细胞水平，就像对虚弱的老年人一样。风味改善将降低CD4+T细胞群延迟恢复的风险，而辅助治疗和与年龄相关的胸腺退化尤其会降低这一风险。免疫力的提高将反映在更好的整体生活质量/功能状态上。

The ability to taste and smell declines with advancing, and these impairments are exacerbated by chronic diseases such as cancer which disproportionately effects the elderly segment of the population. The purpose of this study is to develop a method for flavor enhancement of foods to compensate for smell and taste alterations and to improve immune status and quality of life for elderly cancer patients. Previous studies of frail elderly without cancer have shown that intensification of the sensory properties of foods with food flavors is associated with improvements in immune status and physical strength. Flavors are mixtures of odorous molecules that can be extracted directly from natural products, or they can be synthesized after chromatographic and mass spectrographic analysis of natural products. For example, simulated chicken flavor can be added to chicken, and simulated carrots. Specific Aim 1. To characterize the type, degree, and time course of taste and smell of dysfunction in elderly cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy using standardized chemosensory test protocols (Phase 1 and 2). Hypothesis: Taste and smell functioning in elderly cancer patients will be impaired during chemotherapy; chemosensory function will slowly improve after chemotherapy is complete. Specific Aim 2. To determine how the type, degree, and time course of taste and smell dysfunction in elderly cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy impacts the quality of life (Phase 1 and 2). Hypothesis: The degree of taste and smell dysfunction in elderly cancer patients correlates with measures of quality of life. Specific Aim 3. To determine the amount of flavor that must be added to food to maximize food preferences than elderly cancer patients with less extensive losses (Phase 1 and 2). Hypothesis: Elderly cancer patients with greater chemosensory losses will require higher concentrations of flavor to maximize food preferences than elderly cancer patients with less extensive losses. Specific Aim 4. To assess the impact of flavor enhancement of food on immune status, quality of life, and functional status in elderly cancer patients (Phase 2). Hypothesis: Flavor enhancement of food will increase T and B lymphocyte levels in elderly cancer patients just as it does in frail elderly. Flavor enhancement will reduce the risk of delayed recovery of CD4+ T cell populations which are especially diminished by adjuvant therapy and age-related thymic involution. Improved immunity will be reflected in better overall quality of life/functional status.