Taste Matters: Designing and Testing a Nurse-Led Intervention in Oncology

Authors

• Sharon Kilbride, Advocate Health - MidwestFollow
• Abigail Dillon, Advocate Health - MidwestFollow
• Bree Aguilar, Advocate Health - MidwestFollow
• Mary Hook, Advocate Health - MidwestFollow

Recommended Citation

Kilbride S, Dillon A, Aguilar B, Hook M. Taste Matters: Designing and Testing a Nurse-Led Intervention in Oncology. Poster presentation at: American Nurses Enterprise Research Symposium 2026; October 28, 2026; Chicago, IL.

Affiliations

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

Presentation Notes

Poster presentation at: American Nurses Enterprise Research Symposium 2026; October 28, 2026; Chicago, IL.

Abstract

Problem/Research Question: Taste alteration affects up to 70% of oncology patients receiving chemotherapy, leading to decreased dietary intake, malnutrition, and poor quality of life. It is often under reported due to lack of taste assessments during toxicity screening and has no known treatment. Researchers have shown that breast cancer patients were able to assess and control alterations with a researcher-delivered intervention. Research is needed to translate this promising strategy for clinical use with populations beyond breast cancer.

Objectives: An oncology-certified infusion nurse observed that many chemotherapy patients experienced taste alterations that affected their quality of life. The observations sparked interest in searching the literature for best practices to assess taste alterations and to identify evidence-based strategies to lessen symptom intensity. This study is aimed at testing the effectiveness of a nurse-led intervention to support infusion clinic patients in assessing, self-monitoring, and managing taste alterations with a heterogenous patient populations beyond breast cancer.

Methodology: This prospective cluster randomized controlled trial aims to compare usual care versus a nurse-led intervention to manage taste alterations during the first 4 chemotherapy cycles with follow-up at six months.  Infusion clinics (N=8) in the Chicago-land area were recruited and randomly assigned to deliver usual chemotherapy care (n=4 control) or the intervention (n=4). Clinic-based oncology nurses (n=22) were trained to consent and deliver their assigned strategy with fidelity. Subjects consisted of consenting English-speaking decisional adult cancer patients who initiate chemotherapy for breast and other cancers at 8 infusion clinics (50/clinic to achieve N=400 for planned analysis).  Patients were excluded if pre-existing taste alterations, head/neck cancer, known eating disorders, pregnancy, enteral nutrition, or end of life.  Usual care involved the delivery of standard teaching materials including oral care and strategies to promote adequate nutrition.  Questions were developed to support assessment of patient symptoms and self-management without the use of reliable/valid tools.  The intervention involved the use of a reliable/valid taste assessment tool (Chemotherapy-induced Taste Alterations Scale) and investigator-designed education developed with input from international experts.  Data were collected on paper during each clinic visit and at 6 months.  Repeated measures data analysis will be used to evaluate differences over time.

Results: The study began in December 2024 with expedited institutional review board review.  All site-based oncology nurses received training to consent patients on Cycle 1/Day 1 (baseline), gather baseline assessments and deliver the intervention assigned to the clinic.  An electronic “chat” application was established to support ongoing team communication to support data collection and intervention. Monthly team meetings were held to monitor recruitment and address any issues. A "booster” training class was provided for the treatment group to ensure consistent patient education. Recruitment was hampered by a higher-than-expected rate of patients with pre-existing taste alterations and high rates of non-English speaking patients at some clinics.  To date, 400 (100%) patients have enrolled with few recruitment failures due to subjects that transitioned to other treatment modalities.  Most enrolled patients complete the 6-month trial.

Implications for Nursing: This project originated from a clinical nurse’s observation and has progressed into a clinical trial nearing completion. The results underscore the essential role nurses have in recognizing and managing chemotherapy-related taste alterations, which are often overlooked but greatly affect nutrition and quality of life. Using reliable assessment tools and evidence-based interventions, nurses can help patients monitor and manage symptoms. This nurse-led approach empowers patients and promotes personalized care.

Document Type

Poster