Abstract: Objective To explore the relationship of the changes in taste and smell with optimistic tendency and self-perceived burden in the elderly patients with gastric cancer. Methods A total of 102 elderly patients with gastric cancer who were admitted to our hospital from August 2016 to August 2019 were selected. All the patients underwent the survey of general information questionaire, taste change evaluation (the Taste and Smell Survey, TSS), optimistic tendency evaluation (Revised Life Orientation Test, LOT-R), and burden sensing evaluation (self-perceived burden scale, SPBS). The incidence rate of taste and smell changes in the patients with different demographic characteristics, and the scores of LOT-R and SPBS in the patients with different taste and smell changes were compared. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to describe the relationship of changes in taste and smell with optimistic tendency and self-perceived burden. Results The TSS scores of 102 elderly patients with gastric cancers was (4.63±0.95) points. Among them, there were 43 cases without taste and smell change, 36 cases with slight change, and 23 cases with moderate to severe change. The incidence rate of taste and smell changes was 57.84% (59/102). Age, gender, household registration type, education level, occupation, marital status, main caregiver, average income, payment type, chronic diseases, tumor location, clinical stages and degree of differentiation were not related to the changes of taste and smell (P>0.05). The TSS score was positively correlated with the times of chemotherapy (r=0.441) and the total score of SPBS (r=0.337), but negatively correlated with the total score of LOT-R (r=-0.309). Conclusions Elderly patients with gastric cancer who receive more chemotherapy are prone to have taste and smell changes. More attention should be paid to the intervention and adjustment of the patients’ psychological state in clinic.

Key words: gastric cancer, changes in taste and smell, optimistic tendency, self-perceived burden