[Orally administered polaprezinc significantly improves taste disorders in ovarian cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy].

Abstract

The subject was a 75-year-old female who was receiving paclitaxel and carboplatin(TC)chemotherapy every other week after surgery for ovarian cancer. She greatly complained of taste disorders after four cycles(of every other week administration) of TC chemotherapy. To understand how the taste disorder was caused by chemotherapy objectively, taste examinations were conducted for the patient in our department. These examinations were conducted after receiving the informed consent from the patient. The authors conducted taste examinations for the patient using serum zinc measurement, tongue cell culture, electrogustometry, and filter paper disc tests(before and after starting chemotherapy), and found that her serum zinc level fell significantly after four cycles of chemotherapy. Orally disintegrating tablets of polaprezinc were then administered to the patient, after which the subjective symptom of taste disorder improved. Her serum zinc level increased, and the electrogustometric threshold rapidly fell(an improvement). The filter paper disc test showed some improvement, particularly in the glossopharyngeal nerve and the greater petrosal nerve field.

• Authors: Shota Nishijima, Toru Yanase, Yuki Hata, Ryo Tamura, Ikunosuke Tsuneki, Masaki Tamura, Takumi Kurabayashi
• Journal: Gan to kagaku ryoho. Cancer & chemotherapy (Gan To Kagaku Ryoho) Vol. 38 Issue 4 Pg. 689-92 (Apr 2011) ISSN: 0385-0684 [Print] Japan
• PMID: 21499007 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Organometallic Compounds
• Zinc Compounds
• polaprezinc
• Carnosine
• Carboplatin
• Paclitaxel

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Aged
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (therapeutic use)
• Carboplatin (administration & dosage, adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Carnosine (analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Female
• Humans
• Neoplasm Staging
• Organometallic Compounds (therapeutic use)
• Ovarian Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)
• Paclitaxel (administration & dosage, adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Taste Disorders (chemically induced, prevention & control)
• Zinc Compounds (therapeutic use)