Somesthesia in Cancer Patients: Variability and Influence on Eating Experience

"In order to determine the quantity and quality of patients saliva before food tasting a saliva test will be performed using a Saliva-Check BUFFER kit. A small quantity of saliva will be collected and discarded immediately after the test result obtained.~The test will be done only once for each patient."

Patients will be invited to taste four different food samples, 2 sweet and 2 salty samples, and to evaluate them using a visual analog scale (0 : I don't like at all to 100 : I like a lot). The intervention will be done once for each patient during one of their standard of care treatment visit.

Patients will be invited to answer to some questionnaires : socio-demographics, appreciation of food samples, self-assessment of oral symptoms and sensory perceptions, QLQ-C30 quality of life and food quality of life questionnaire. They will answer to all questionnaires only once during participation to the study.

"For the sensory capacity the test 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) taste strip will be used. One tasting strip will be placed on the tongue and patients will be asked to assess the intensity of bitterness.~The test will be done only once for each patient."