If you have kidney cancer, you may notice that food tastes different than it used to — metallic, bland, or just “off.” These taste changes, known medically as dysgeusia, are a common experience for people with cancer, including kidney cancer, and can be caused by a number of factors.

In this article, we’ll explore how kidney cancer may affect your taste and some things you can do about it.

What Changes in Taste Can You Experience With Cancer?

You experience the taste of a food when chemicals in food interact with taste buds on your tongue, which then send signals to the brain.

Chemicals in food are released through chewing and with the help of saliva. Taste and smell combine to allow you to experience the flavor of food. Kidney cancer itself, certain cancer treatments, and treatment-related side effects may interfere with this process.

People with cancer describe a wide range of taste changes. While the experience varies by person and treatment, some common taste changes include:

• Metallic or bitter taste, especially when eating meat or high-protein food
• Foods tasting more bitter, sweet, or salty compared to what they normally taste like
• Food that tastes bland or like it has no flavor
• The same taste for different kinds of food

These taste changes can lead to food aversions, meaning strong dislikes for specific foods, that may develop suddenly.

Where Do Taste Changes Come From?

Taste changes related to cancer can be caused by a variety of factors, such as:

• Mouth and dental issues, like mouth sores or dryness, caused by treatments
• Certain types of targeted drug treatments or chemotherapy
• Specific medications, including antibiotics or pain medications, that are sometimes used to reduce side effects of cancer treatments
• Cancer symptoms such as appetite loss, nausea, and fatigue, which change food preferences and tolerances

Changes to your taste can also be caused by factors not related to cancer specifically, like issues with teeth or gums, smoking, and medications prescribed for other conditions.

Why Kidney Cancer Can Change How Food Tastes

Some people with kidney cancer may have changes in kidney function. When kidneys aren’t working as well, waste products, like urea, can build up in the blood. When the body digests certain foods, specifically those high in protein, like meat, it produces urea.

When urea builds up, food can taste bitter or metallic. High-protein foods may taste especially unpleasant.

In kidney cancer, the kidneys aren’t able to remove urea from the body efficiently. This can change how your taste buds work, which could cause you to avoid high-protein foods (since they taste bad) and prevent further urea buildup.

On the other hand, targeted therapies used for kidney cancer, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), can affect taste buds, saliva production, and the nerves involved in taste and smell.

For example, cabozantinib (Cabometyx), a TKI used to treat advanced kidney cancer, has been shown to cause dysgeusia. One study found that roughly 41 percent of individuals experienced taste changes while taking cabozantinib.

Other medications that may be part of your treatment plan for other conditions, such as hypertension and high cholesterol, may alter your taste as well. These include:

• Calcium channel blockers
• ACE inhibitors
• Statins

Some people may be advised by their healthcare team to drink less fluid as part of their kidney cancer treatment plan. This could also lead to dry mouth and ultimately change how food tastes.

How Taste Changes Affect Eating, Nutrition, and Daily Life

When food doesn’t taste right, eating enough may become harder. Taste changes are strongly linked to loss of appetite and weight loss in people with cancer, including those with kidney cancer.

Individuals who have a hard time eating certain foods because they have a metallic taste might skip meals, eat much less than their body needs, or cut out certain foods like meat.

Others may start to prefer only certain textures or temperatures, like soft or cold foods, because stronger scents or flavors make them sick.

Taste changes can also affect social life and emotional well-being. Meals are often social events. When you aren’t enjoying the food you eat, this can lead to frustration, sadness, or avoidance of gatherings with friends and family.

Over time, reduced food intake may worsen fatigue and slow recovery from treatment.

Strategies To Help When Food Doesn’t Taste Right

Although taste changes can’t always be prevented, there are a few practical ways to make eating easier and more satisfying.

Adjust Flavors and Seasonings

Using herbs, spices, sauces, or marinades may help foods taste better. Adding lemon juice, vinegar, or mild sweetness can sometimes mask bitter or metallic flavors. However, it’s recommended to avoid acidic foods if mouth sores are present.

Try Different Temperatures

Cold or room-temperature foods often have less odor and can taste less bitter than hot foods. For example, serving fruits chilled or even frozen may make them easier to tolerate.

On the other hand, some people prefer eating warm food because they find it more appetizing than cold foods, so experiment with temperatures to see what’s more enjoyable for you.

Focus on Proteins You Like

If certain meats or high-protein foods taste bad to you, consider swapping in:

• Eggs
• Dairy
• Tofu
• Beans
• Fish
• Peanut butter

These options may provide needed daily protein amounts without triggering strong metallic tastes.

Use Plastic Utensils

For metallic tastes, using plastic utensils and drinking from glass bottles instead of cans might reduce metal flavors. You may also want to opt for glassware or stoneware for cooking instead of metal trays or saucepans.

Be Mindful of Odors

If you find that the way a food smells is bothersome, you may want to choose foods that you don’t need to cook or that you can serve at room temperature.

Consider cooking outdoors when possible or in areas that have good fans and ventilation to decrease cooking odors. You might also find it helpful to avoid eating in rooms that are warm or stuffy.

Practice Good Oral Hygiene

Taking care of your mouth can also make a difference. Be sure to clean your mouth, brush your teeth and tongue, and floss regularly to keep bad tastes from sticking around. You should also see a dentist regularly to make sure no underlying dental concerns are causing changes to your taste.

Before eating, you could also try rinsing your mouth with a salt, baking soda, and water mixture to make foods taste a little better. The American Cancer Society recommends mixing 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt into 4 cups of water, then mixing well before swishing it in your mouth and spitting it out.

Work With a Registered Dietitian

A registered dietitian nutritionist with experience in cancer care can be a valuable part of your kidney cancer team.

Dietitians help tailor food choices to your taste changes, symptoms, and treatment plan. They can suggest meal ideas, protein options, and strategies to prevent weight loss or malnutrition.

Because taste changes can shift over time, ongoing support can help you adjust as your needs change. Ask your oncology team for a referral if eating becomes difficult or stressful.

Talk to Your Doctor About Taste Changes

Taste changes in kidney cancer are real, common, and can be challenging. Dysgeusia can affect your enjoyment of food, your nutrition, and your daily life, but support and practical strategies can help. If food doesn’t taste right, you don’t have to handle it alone.

If you’re experiencing changes to your taste, talk to your healthcare team. While it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly one cause, you and your doctor can narrow down what factors may be responsible and make a plan to address them.

Join the Conversation

On MyKidneyCancerTeam, people share their experiences with kidney cancer, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

Have you found any foods or strategies that help when food doesn’t taste the way it used to? Let others know in the comments below.