The TASTY-training Study (TASTY-training)

Taste and Smell Training in Patients With Cancer Who Are Treated With Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: a Multicentre Randomized Intervention Trial

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 and smell training.

To examine the effect of at-home taste and smell training versus standard care on taste function and other outcome parameters, measurements will take place at baseline (before the training starts), and after 12 weeks. The intervention 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.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor; Oncological Patients
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Taste and smell training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 90
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: J. J.A. de Haan, MD, PhD; Phone Number: +31 50 361 2821; Email: j.j.de.haan@umcg.nl
• Study Contact Backup: Name: M. D. Douma; Phone Number: +31 50 361 4603; Email: m.d.douma@umcg.nl

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands
    • Recruiting
    • Amsterdam UMC
    • Contact: K. Silverio Alonso-Duin
  • Arnhem, Netherlands
    • Not yet recruiting
    • Rijnstate Ziekenhuis
    • Contact: M. D.J.L. van der Vorst
  • Dirksland, Netherlands
    • Not yet recruiting
    • Van Weel-Bethesda Ziekenhuis
    • Contact: H. Noordzij-Nooteboom
  • Ede, Netherlands
    • Recruiting
    • Ziekenhuisvoorzieningen Gelderse Vallei
    • Contact: G. A. Velders
  • Groningen, Netherlands, 9713 GZ
    • Recruiting
    • University Medical Center Groningen
    • Contact: J. J.A. de Haan, MD, PhD; Phone Number: +31 50 361 2821; Email: j.j.de.haan@umcg.nl
    • Contact: M. D. Douma; Phone Number: +31 50 361 4603; Email: m.d.douma@umcg.nl
    • Principal Investigator: J. J. de Haan, MD, PhD
  • Groningen, Netherlands
    • Recruiting
    • Martini Ziekenhuis
    • Contact: A. W.G. van der Velden
  • Nijmegen, Netherlands
    • Not yet recruiting
    • Radboud University Medical Center
    • Contact: S. Kaal
  • Rotterdam, Netherlands
    • Recruiting
    • Ikazia Ziekenhuis
    • Contact: F. de Boer
  • Scheemda, Netherlands
    • Recruiting
    • Ommelander Ziekenhuis Groningen
    • Contact: T. Osinga-Fickweiler
  • Veldhoven, Netherlands
    • Not yet recruiting
    • Maxima Medisch Centrum
    • Contact: R. van Lieshout
  • Zwolle, Netherlands
    • Not yet recruiting
    • Isala Klinieken
    • Contact: J. W.B. de Groot

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥18 and ≤70 years
• Intention of being treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors for next 12 weeks.
• Experiencing taste alterations after starting treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors
• Consuming solid foods and drinks is possible
• ≤50% of recommended daily intake in kcal consisting of oral nutritional supplements
• Oral mucositis grade ≤2 (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 5.0)
• Ability to comply with all protocol-required actions
• Written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy
• History of taste, smell, or saliva production dysfunction before treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors
• Previous or current radiotherapy of head and neck region
• Enteral feeding through tube or parenteral feeding
• Participation in another clinical trial aimed at preventing or treating taste and/or smell alterations
• Chronic (>1 month) high dose corticosteroids (>10 mg prednisone/day or equivalent)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Taste and smell training; To examine the effect of at-home taste and smell training versus standard care on taste function and other outcome parameters, measurements will take place at baseline (before the training starts), and after 12 weeks. The intervention will take place at home.	Behavioral: Taste and smell training; To examine the effect of at-home taste and smell training versus standard care on taste function and other outcome parameters, measurements will take place at baseline (before the training starts), and after 12 weeks. The intervention 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.
No Intervention: No intervention; Standard of care

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Taste function	Taste function measured with taste strips at baseline and after week 12 weeks of taste and smell training compared with standard care	12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Body weight	Body weight	12 weeks
Smell function	Smell function measured with Sniffin' Sticks at baseline and after week 12 of taste and smell training compared to standard care	12 weeks
Saliva secretion	Saliva secretion	12 weeks
Food enjoyment in appetite, hunger and sensory perception	Food enjoyment, measured by the subsection of the Appetite, Hunger and Sensory Perception Questionnaire (AHSP) and the Food enjoyment and food liking: questions on food enjoyment and food liking on 9-point hedonic scale at baseline and after 12 weeks of taste and smell training compared with standard care. The AHSP score is lower in presence of malnutrition. Higher scores on the Food enjoyment and food liking indicate more food enjoyment and food liking.	12 weeks
Health-related quality of life	The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaires Core-30 item (EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire) assesses quality of life. It is measured using 1-4 and 1-7 scales. Higher scores indicate better functioning and global quality of life, and worse symptoms on symptom domains.	12 weeks
Taste and smell alterations	The Chemotherapy-induced Taste Alteration Scale (ciTAS-NL) assesses taste and smell alterations across intensity, discomfort, and phantogeusia/parageusia domains. It is measured using a 5-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate more severe alterations.	12 weeks
Risk of malnutrition	The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment Short Form (PG-SGA SF) assesses the risk of malnutrition. It is measured using patient-reported items scored numerically. Scores of 0-3 indicate low risk, 4-8 moderate risk, and ≥9 high risk of malnutrition, with higher scores reflecting greater need for nutritional intervention.	12 weeks
Dry mouth feeling	The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment Short Form (PG-SGA SF) assesses the risk of malnutrition. It is measured using patient-reported items scored numerically. Scores of 0-3 indicate low risk, 4-8 moderate risk, and ≥9 high risk of malnutrition, with higher scores reflecting greater need for nutritional intervention.	12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Medical Center Groningen
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: J. J.A. de Haan, MD, PhD, University Medical Center Groningen

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 10, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 20, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 20, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): December 2, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 15, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 13, 2026
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Taste alterations
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Therapeutics; Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; Sensation; Olfactory Training; Taste
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20901

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No