Britt-Marie Bernhardson
Treatment related side-effects and symptoms during the cancer trajectory. My interest is now primarily focused on chemosensory alterations and how they impact on nutrition and relate to other side effects during cancer treatment.
My present research area focuses on cancer-associated symptoms, with focus on taste and smell dysfunction and its impact on nutrition and wasting. During chemotherapy approximately 75% of patients experience taste and smell alterations and in palliative settings approximately 86% reported alterations in their taste and smell perception. Although these alterations have been linked to malnutrition and diminished quality of life, we still do not know how this is related to different characteristics of chemosensory changes.
I am presently a post doc fellow (Jan 2009-July 2010) at the University of Alberta, further developing my doctoral research about chemosensory changes during chemotherapy by investigating the links with nutritional issues and other side-effects. Our working hypothesis is that taste and smell dysfunction is a primary factor in the evolution of malnutrition and poor quality of life of cancer patients.
On my return to Sweden, we will expand and develop the research conducted in Alberta with a longitudinal investigation of patients experiences of chemosensory alterations during active cancer treatment and when in palliative care. The design involves both quantitative and qualitative components aiming to elucidate the development and impact of distorted taste and smell perception on nutritional status and food-related quality of life.
We hope this approach and the continued collaboration with University of Alberta will help us to define the basis for future interventions to alleviate nutritional problems throughout the cancer trajectory.
Selected Publications
Olfactory changes among patients receiving cancer chemotherapy.
European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 2009;Feb;13(1):9-15
Taste and smell changes in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy: Distress, impact on daily life, and self-care strategies.
Cancer Nursing, 2009;Jan-Feb;32(1):45-54.
Using undergraduate students as mediators in a knowledge exchange program for care for patients with advanced cancer.
European Journal of Cancer Care, 2008;May;17(3):253-60.
Self-reported taste and smell changes during cancer chemotherapy.
Supportive Care in Cancer, 2008;16(3);275-83.
Chemosensory changes in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2007;34(4);403-12.
Symptom interference on eating, with focus on self-reported chemosensory dysfunction among patients receiving radiation therapy for head and neck cancer: results of a longitudinal study.
Manuscript under preparation
Financing (external funders)
As Principal Investigator: Vetenskapsrådet (Swedish Research Council) 700.000 SEK/year, 2010-2012
As co-investigator: National post-graduate research school in health care sciences. Competitive award consisting of full-time 4 year funding for a doctoral student, from Sept 2010.
