My mouth hurts and everything tastes wrong. What do I do?

Treatment can make the lining of the mouth sore and change how food tastes, sometimes metallic. Both are common and both usually settle after treatment finishes.

Rinse with salt and baking soda in warm water several times a day, keep away from alcohol mouthwash, and use a soft brush. If you cannot eat or drink because of the pain, that is a call-us problem, not a wait-and-see one.

Written by two physicians. Checked against patient information from the US National Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK.