Why do head and neck cancer patients taste metal? new study investigates
NCT ID NCT03558789
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study looked at why people with head and neck cancer experience a metallic taste before, during, and after treatment. Researchers tested saliva and measured quality of life in 100 patients over one year. The goal was to better understand the causes and impact of this often-overlooked symptom.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- bovine lactoferrin mouthwash
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help understand the causes of metallic taste in head and neck cancer patients, potentially leading to better management strategies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed observational study, not a treatment trial. The findings may not lead to a direct therapy or apply to all patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
-
100 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Apr 2018
- Finished
-
Dec 2023
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
100 patients with head and neck cancer before any treatment will be recruited. Repartition between the two groups will be performed a posteriori after onset or not of the metallic taste perception.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Any head and neck cancer * Before any treatment and treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy) * Before the appearance of the metallic taste symptom * Age ≥ 18 years * Estimated life expectancy ≥ 6 months. * Affiliation to a Social security system * Patient who has given written consent signed before any specific procedure of the protocol Exclusion Criteria: * History of cancer (head and neck or other) that could be a confounding factor (dysgeusia, dysosmia, salivary composition disorder) * Pregnant woman (frequent dysgeusia and dysosmia) * Total laryngectomy (treatment-induced hyposmia) * Early cancer recurrence (\< 6 months after the end of the last treatment) because the taste, smell, and/or composition of the saliva can be altered by the cancer itself * Persons deprived of liberty, under guardianship or under curatorship or unable to submit to the medical follow-up of the test for geographical, social or psychic reasons
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
CH Valence
Valence, 26953, France
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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