Addressing Taste Dysfunction With Miraculin in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy

This is a Phase III, single-center, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trial. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To determine if the use of miracle fruit during radiation therapy for head and neck cancer patients can reduce the effect of subjective taste alteration influence on dietary intake. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: I. To characterize changes in weight, quality of nutritional intake, patient-reported taste dysfunction and quality of life, frequency of significant medical events or treatment complications, and association between oral cavity radiation dose and dysgeusia. Eligible participants will be randomized in a one-to-one ratio prior to beginning radiation treatment into one of two study arms and will be stratified according to treatment with or without concurrent chemotherapy. ARM 1: Participants will receive a commercially available food/natural product (Miracle Fruit Farm miracle fruit cube), 1 cube by mouth three times a day before meals ARM 2: Participants will receive a Miracle Fruit Farm placebo cube, 1 cube by mouth three times a day before meals Participants may continue study treatment for 60 days from the time of initiating treatment and will be followed post-treatment for 180 days.