How cancer can affect taste and smell

Find out how cancer can affect taste and smell, and how these changes impact your nutritional intake during treatment.

Why taste and smell are important

The senses of taste and smell combined with touch (the way food feels in the mouth) all work together to help us experience flavour. When we eat, our mouth and nose send signals to the brain so we can taste, smell and feel the texture of the food.

Changes to your senses of smell and taste can affect what you are able to eat and drink as well as what you want to eat and drink. These changes can lead to loss of appetite and weight loss, which could mean you are not getting the nutrition your body needs.

Eating well before, during and after cancer treatment can keep your energy up, improve your mood, help you cope with treatment side effects and aid recovery.

Talk to your doctor or nurse if you are having trouble eating.

How cancer can affect taste and smell

Some types of cancer and cancer treatment can change your sense of taste and smell.

Cancer-related causes of changes to taste and smell include:

• cancers in the head and neck area
• radiation therapy to the head and neck
• surgery to the nose, throat or mouth
• drug therapies including chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy
• side effects of treatment, such as nausea, dehydration, or mouth sores and dryness
• medicines (e.g. antibiotics, pain medicines).

For more on this, call 13 11 20 or see Mouth health and cancer treatment.

→ READ MORE: What changes could I experience?

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