Life Satisfaction In Cancer Patients With And Without Chemosensory Dysfunction
Chemosensory dysfunctions (CD) are symptoms often experienced by cancer patients. Albeit common, these symptoms lack guidelines for management and are rarely addressed by healthcare providers, and therefore, how taste and smell dysfunctions affect quality of life in cancer patients is understudied. To address this gap, we analyzed data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The sample included 3,654 subjects (mean±SD: 68±13 years, range:18-99 years; 58% F; 85% non-hispanic white) who self-reported having cancer and self-assessed whether they had difficulty tasting, difficulty smelling, and reported life satisfaction (binary) in the last 12 months. 20.3% reported smell dysfunction (n=741; 70±12 years; 49% F) and 11.9% reported taste dysfunction (n=435; 70±12 years; 52% F), and 9% reported both smell and taste dysfunction (n=330; 71±12 years; 51% F). After adjusting for age and sex, a logistic regression revealed that cancer patients reporting…
