Table 3.
Descriptive analyses and group comparisons in patients experienced phantosmia and/or phosphene during radiation therapy
| No sensation (n = 44) | Phosphene only (n = 23) | Phantosmia only (n = 8) | Both sensations (n = 31) | Total (n = 106) | χ2/F | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 57.9 ± 11.7 | 60.0 ± 10.5 | 51.9 ± 16.5 | 45.9 ± 13.1 | 54.4 ± 13.4 | 7.81a | < 0.01 |
| Gender | |||||||
| Women | 13 (35.1%) | 10 (27.0%) | 1 (2.7%) | 13 (35.1%) | 37 | 3.58 | 0.31 |
| Men | 31 (44.9%) | 13 (18.8%) | 7 (10.1%) | 18 (26.1%) | 69 | – | – |
| Targeted radiation region | |||||||
| Brain | 14 (26.4%) | 14 (26.4%) | 4 (7.5%) | 21 (39.5%) | 53 | 14.05b | 0.02 |
| ENT and eye | 22 (52.4%) | 7 (16.7%) | 3 (7.1%) | 10 (23.8%) | 42 | – | – |
| Other body region | 8 (72.7%) | 2 (18.2%) | 1 (9.1%) | 0 | 11 | – | – |
| Technology | |||||||
| Proton | 29 (34.9%) | 20 (24.1%) | 5 (6.0%) | 29 (34.9%) | 83 | 10.57c | 0.01 |
| Photon | 15 (65.2%) | 3 (13.0%) | 3 (13.0%) | 2 (8.7%) | 23 | – | – |
| RT duration [days] | 43.55 ± 5.64 | 43.48 ± 4.98 | 40.63 ± 8.58 | 43.35 ± 5.48 | 43.25 ± 5.48 | 0.66 | 0.58 |
| Single dose [Gy] | 2.00 ± 0.10 | 1.90 ± 0.15 | 2.00 ± 0.01 | 1.90 ± 0.10 | 1.95 ± 0.10 | 5.17 | 0.13 |
| Radiation dose [Gy] | 63.6 ± 8.02 | 62.52 ± 6.72 | 59.25 ± 12.74 | 62.26 ± 7.11 | 62.66 ± 7.90 | 0.745 | 0.53 |
| Olfactory identification | 11.47 ± 2.64 | 11.74 ± 2.63 | 11.43 ± 1.81 | 11.83 ± 1.79 | 11.63 ± 2.35 | 0.16 | 0.92 |
| Nasal surgery | |||||||
| Yes | 7 (25.9%) | 5 (18.5%) | 3 (11.1%) | 12 (44.4%) | 27 | 5.81 | 0.11 |
| No | 37 (46.8%) | 18 (22.8%) | 5 (6.3%) | 19 (24.1%) | 79 | – | – |
| Nasal polyps | |||||||
| Yes | 2 (40.0%) | 0 | 0 | 3 (60.0%) | 5 | – | – |
| No | 42 (41.6%) | 23 (22.8%) | 8 (7.9%) | 28 (27.7%) | 101 | – | – |
| Allergy rhinitis | |||||||
| Yes | 10 (45.4%) | 4 (18.2%) | 1 (4.5%) | 7 (31.8%) | 22 | 0.53 | 0.95 |
| No | 34 (40.5%) | 19 (22.6%) | 7 (8.3%) | 24 (28.6%) | 84 | – | – |
| Allergy rhinosinusitis | |||||||
| Yes | 4 (36.4%) | 2 (18.2%) | 1 (9.1%) | 4 (36.4%) | 11 | 0.78 | 0.96 |
| No | 40 (42.1%) | 21 (22.1%) | 7 (7.4%) | 27 (28.4%) | 95 | – | – |
| Olfactory phantosmia early | |||||||
| Yes | 1 (50.0%) | 0 | 0 | 1 (50.0%) | 2 | – | – |
| No | 43 (41.3%) | 23 (22.1%) | 8 (7.7%) | 30 (28.8%) | 104 | – | – |
| Regular nasal spray | |||||||
| Yes | 3 (30.0%) | 3 (30.0%) | 2 (20.0%) | 2 (20.0%) | 10 | 3.39 | 0.32 |
| No | 41 (42.7%) | 20 (20.8%) | 6 (6.3%) | 29 (30.2%) | 96 | – | – |
| Taste problem | |||||||
| Yes | 14 (66.7%) | 5 (23.8%) | 1 (4.8%) | 1 (4.8%) | 21 | 10.28d | 0.01 |
| No | 30 (35.3%) | 18 (21.2%) | 7 (8.2%) | 30 (35.3%) | 85 | – | – |
| Ophthalmic surgery | |||||||
| Yes | 4 (26.7%) | 5 (33.3%) | 2 (13.3%) | 4 (26.7%) | 15 | 3.21 | 0.33 |
| No | 41 (44.0%) | 18 (19.8%) | 6 (6.6%) | 27 (29.7%) | 91 | – | – |
| Myopia | |||||||
| Yes | 23 (35.9%) | 16 (25.0%) | 4 (6.3%) | 21 (32.8%) | 64 | 3.09 | 0.38 |
| No | 21 (50.0%) | 7 (16.7%) | 4 (9.5%) | 10 (23.8%) | 42 | – | – |
| Hyperopia | |||||||
| Yes | 31 (49.2%) | 14 (22.2%) | 4 (6.3%) | 14 (22.2%) | 63 | 5.19 | 0.15 |
| No | 13 (30.2%) | 9 (20.9%) | 4 (9.3%) | 17 (39.5%) | 43 | – | – |
| Cataract | |||||||
| Yes | 2 (40.0%) | 2 (40.0%) | 0 | 1 (20.0%) | 5 | – | – |
| No | 42 (41.6%) | 21 (20.8%) | 8 (7.9%) | 30 (29.7%) | 101 | – | – |
| Glaucoma | |||||||
| Yes | 4 (57.1%) | 1 (14.3%) | 1 (14.3%) | 1 (14.3%) | 7 | – | – |
| No | 40 (40.4%) | 22 (22.2%) | 7 (7.1%) | 30 (30.3%) | 99 | – | – |
| Chemical/dust exposure | |||||||
| Yes | 20 (47.6%) | 8 (19.0%) | 4 (9.5%) | 10 (23.8%) | 42 | 1.97 | 0.61 |
| No | 24 (37.5%%) | 15 (23.4%) | 4 (6.3%) | 21 (32.8%) | 64 | – | – |
| Alcohol | |||||||
| Never | 5 (33.3%) | 5 (33.3%) | 1 (6.7%) | 4 (26.7%) | 15 | 7.43 | 0.26 |
| Occasionally | 19 (38.0%) | 8 (16.0%) | 3 (6.0%) | 20 (40.0%) | 50 | – | – |
| Several times per week | 20 (48.8%) | 10 (24.4%) | 4 (9.8%) | 7 (17.1%) | 41 | – | – |
| Tobacco | |||||||
| Yes | 31 (44.3%) | 17 (24.3%) | 3 (4.3%) | 19 (27.1%) | 70 | 4.06 | 0.26 |
| No | 13 (36.1%) | 6 (16.7%) | 5 (13.9%) | 12 (33.3%) | 36 | – | – |
| Tumor duration [months] | 24.70 ± 17.07 | 19.52 ± 3.65 | 19.38 ± 3.50 | 23.68 ± 7.48 | 22.88 ± 11.99 | 1.22 | 0.31 |
| Tumor surgery | |||||||
| Yes | 26 (34.7%) | 17 (22.7%) | 7 (9.3%) | 25 (33.3%) | 75 | 5.09 | 0.16 |
| No | 18 (58.1%) | 6 (19.4%) | 1 (3.2%) | 6 (19.4%) | 31 | – | – |
| Chemotherapy history | |||||||
| Yes | 3 (37.5%) | 1 (12.5%) | 0 | 4 (50.0%) | 8 | – | – |
| No | 40 (41.7%) | 21 (21.9%) | 8 (8.3%) | 27 (28.1%) | 96 | – | – |
| Chemotherapy with current RT | |||||||
| Yes | 20 (38.5%) | 14 (26.9%) | 4 (7.7%) | 14 (26.9%) | 52 | 1.51 | 0.66 |
| No | 24 (45.3%) | 8 (15.1%) | 4 (7.5%) | 17 (32.1%) | 53 | – | – |
| Metastases | |||||||
| Yes | 14 (66.7%) | 3 (14.3%) | 0 | 4 (19.0%) | 21 | 6.34 | 0.08 |
| No | 30 (35.7%) | 19 (22.6%) | 8 (9.5%) | 27 (32.1%) | 84 | – | – |
| Head trauma | |||||||
| Yes | 2 (100%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | – | – |
| No | 42 (40.4%) | 23 (22.1%) | 8 (7.7%) | 31 (29.8%) | 104 | – | – |
| Hypertension | |||||||
| Yes | 23 (46.0%) | 9 (18.0%) | 4 (8.0%) | 14 (28.0%) | 50 | 1.2 | 0.79 |
| No | 21 (37.5%) | 14 (25.0%) | 4 (7.1%) | 17 (30.4%) | 56 | – | – |
| Diabetes | |||||||
| Yes | 4 (57.1%) | 2 (28.6%) | 0 | 1 (14.3%) | 7 | – | – |
| No | 40 (40.4%) | 21 (21.2%) | 8 (8.1%) | 30 (30.3%) | 99 | – | – |
| Asthma | |||||||
| Yes | 5 (41.7%) | 2 (16.7%) | 0 | 5 (41.7%) | 12 | 1.32 | 0.80 |
| No | 39 (41.5%) | 21 (22.3%) | 8 (8.5%) | 26 (27.7%) | 94 | – | – |
| Obesity | |||||||
| Yes | 3 (30.0%) | 3 (30.0%) | 2 (20.0%) | 2 (20.0%) | 10 | 3.39 | 0.32 |
| No | 41 (42.7%) | 20 (20.8%) | 6 (6.3%) | 29 (30.2%) | 96 | – | – |
| Food allergy | |||||||
| Yes | 4 (40.0%) | 2 (20.0%) | 2 (20.0%) | 2 (20.0%) | 10 | 2.63 | 0.46 |
| No | 40 (41.7%) | 21 (21.9%) | 6 (6.3%) | 29 (30.2%) | 96 | – | – |
| Medication allergy | |||||||
| Yes | 6 (37.5%) | 1 (6.3%) | 2 (12.5%) | 7 (43.8%) | 16 | 4.34 | 0.20 |
| No | 38 (42.2%) | 22 (24.4%) | 6 (6.7%) | 24 (26.7%) | 90 | – | – |
| Depression | |||||||
| Yes | 5 (31.3%) | 4 (25.0%) | 3 (18.8%) | 4 (25.0%) | 16 | 3.65 | 0.26 |
| No | 39 (43.3%) | 19 (21.1%) | 5 (5.6%) | 27 (30.0%) | 90 | – | – |
| Epilepsy | |||||||
| Yes | 7 (41.2%) | 4 (23.5%) | 1 (5.9%) | 5 (29.4%) | 17 | 0.22 | 0.99 |
| No | 37 (41.6%) | 19 (21.3%) | 7 (7.9%) | 26 (29.2%) | 89 | – | – |
| Antihypertension medications | |||||||
| Yes | 22 (50.0%) | 8 (18.2%) | 4 (9.1%) | 10 (22.7%) | 44 | 3.08 | 0.4 |
| No | 22 (35.5%) | 15 (24.2%) | 4 (6.5%) | 21 (33.9%) | 62 | – | – |
| Anticoagulation | |||||||
| Yes | 9 (56.3%) | 3 (18.8%) | 2 (12.5%) | 2 (12.5%) | 16 | 3.72 | 0.25 |
| No | 35 (38.9%) | 20 (22.2%) | 6 (6.7%) | 29 (32.2%) | 90 | – | – |
| Analgesics | |||||||
| Yes | 7 (53.8%) | 1 (7.7%) | 1 (7.7%) | 4 (30.8%) | 13 | – | – |
| No | 37 (40.2%) | 22 (23.9%) | 7 (7.6%) | 26 (28.3%) | 92 | 1.96 | 0.59 |
| PPI | |||||||
| Yes | 8 (50.0%) | 2 (12.5%) | 1 (6.3%) | 5 (31.3%) | 16 | 1.17 | 0.84 |
| No | 35 (39.8%) | 21 (23.9%) | 7 (8.0%) | 25 (28.4%) | 88 | – | – |
| Antidepressants/antipsychotics/anticonvulsants | |||||||
| Yes | 9 (33.3%) | 7 (25.9%) | 3 (11.1%) | 8 (29.6%) | 27 | 1.63 | 0.66 |
| No | 34 (43.6%) | 16 (20.5%) | 5 (6.4%) | 23 (29.5%) | 78 | – | – |
Note. If group sample size was less than 10, counts and percent of the variable would be described but statistical analyses would not be conducted in order to avoid misleading outcomes due to small sample sizes
aregarding age, both sensations group were younger than no sensations group and phosphenes group
bregarding radiation region, a higher percentage of patients in both sensation group received brain radiation than other body region radiation, whereas a higher percentage of patients in no sensation group received other body region radiation than brain region radiation
cregarding radiation technology, a higher percentage of patients in both sensation group received proton radiation than photon radiation, whereas a higher percentage of patients in no sensation group received photon radiation than proton radiation
dregarding taste problem, a higher percentage of patients in both sensation group had no taste problem than had taste problem, whereas a higher percentage of patients in no sensation group had taste problem than had no taste problem