A review by MD Anderson group on patients' taste sensation after radiotherapy. This review pointed out that developing standardized tools for assessment of taste function and conducting prospective studies in larger population of HNC is the need of the hour, because reliable and validated study tools for assessing radiotherapy-induced taste alterations is lacking, even though majority of HNC patients undergoing radiotherapy suffer from altered taste function and often complain of inability to taste their food, reduced food intake, and weakness.

By using Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy in HNC patients, the authors anticipate preserving the taste sensation by reducing the dose of radiation to the taste buds.