Effects of Cisplatin on Smell in Cancer Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Yakirevitch A, Talmi Y P, Baram Y, Weitzen R, Pfeffer M R
Primary Institution: Chaim Sheba Medical Center
Hypothesis
High-dose cisplatin might result in a reduced sense of smell.
Conclusion
Cisplatin has no major deleterious effect on olfactory function at doses which cause hearing impairment.
Supporting Evidence
- Only one patient showed a decrease in olfactory function after treatment.
- 95.3% of patients had no decrease in olfactory function.
- 10 patients had a final olfactory score higher than their pretreatment score.
Takeaway
Cisplatin, a cancer treatment, doesn't seem to hurt your sense of smell, even if it can affect hearing.
Methodology
A prospective analysis of olfaction was performed using the 'Sniffin' Sticks®' kit in patients receiving cisplatin.
Potential Biases
The learning effect may have influenced the results as some patients improved their olfactory scores over time.
Limitations
The study did not include a control group and was single-blind.
Participant Demographics
21 patients (13 males and 8 females) aged 28 to 78 years (mean 53.6 years) with various primary tumors.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0117
Statistical Significance
p=0.0117 for the sign test and p=0.0322 for the Wilcoxon test
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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