NCT07258563

The TASTY-steering Study

Taste Steering in Patients With Cancer Who Are Treated With Chemotherapy: a Multicentre Randomized Intervention Trial

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 201 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University Medical Center Groningen · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This is a multicentre non-blinded randomised intervention trial with a parallel cluster design. The multicentre study will be performed at 12 hospitals in the Netherlands. A parallel cluster design per hospital was selected to prevent contact between participants in the same hospital who are randomised into different study arms. Such contact may result in bias as it may allow for patients in the control arm to be informed about elements of taste steering. To examine the effect of at-home taste steering versus standard care on food enjoyment, the obtained results and outcomes will be measured 1) at baseline before chemotherapy is started, 2) at week 0 when taste or smell alterations occur, and 3) after 6 weeks. The taste steering will take place at home. The control group will receive usual care. Questionnaires will be filled in online at home, while taste and smell tests and saliva collection will be conducted either at home or in the hospital during regular visits. Patients in both study arms are contacted by their dietitian every 3 weeks. Some hospitals have implemented elements of taste steering. However, these elements are focused on patients who are admitted to the hospital, and therefore only interfere to a limited extent with the present study that is directed at patients managing their taste alterations at home. Experience with the Smaakpupil tool indicates that the algorithm reaches saturation after 3-4 weeks. Therefore, an intervention period of 6 weeks has been selected.

Conditions

• Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer or Metastatic Testicular Cancer, or Stage II-IV Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Taste steering	To examine the effect of at-home taste steering versus standard care on food enjoyment, the obtained results and outcomes will be measured 1) at baseline before chemotherapy is started, 2) at week 0 when taste or smell alterations occur, and 3) after 6 weeks. The taste steering will take place at home. The control group will receive usual care. Questionnaires will be filled in online at home, while taste and smell tests and saliva collection will be conducted either at home or in the hospital during regular visits. Patients in both study arms are contacted by their dietitian every 3 weeks.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-06-06
• Primary completion: 2028-07-01
• Completion: 2028-07-01
• First posted: 2025-12-02
• Last updated: 2025-12-02

Locations

11 sites across 1 country: Netherlands