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Candidiasis as Nausea Cause — SCE Palliative Medicine MCQ

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EasyNausea & VomitingCandidiasis as Nausea CauseSCE Palliative Medicine

A 72-year-old woman with advanced endometrial cancer is on dexamethasone 4 mg twice daily and develops significant oral candidiasis; she reports nausea, difficulty swallowing and altered taste. What best describes the relationship between her candidiasis and her nausea?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: E — Candidiasis causes nausea through painful swallowing, altered taste and oesophageal irritation triggering vagal afferents; treating the infection may resolve symptoms.

Explanation lettering: B = shown as A · A = shown as B

Option E is correct. In cancer patients, oropharyngeal and oesophageal candidiasis commonly cause dysphagia, odynophagia, nausea and altered taste. These symptoms result from painful swallowing, taste disturbance, and vagal afferent stimulation from mucosal inflammation. International oncology‑palliative studies demonstrate rapid symptom resolution with antifungal therapy such as fluconazole. Distractors: A wrongly separates candidiasis from nausea; B misattributes symptoms; C is incorrect, since antifungal therapy resolves symptoms; D is false—dexamethasone increases candidiasis risk rather than protecting against it.

Reference: Jiménez‑Medrano et al. (≈2017) «A clinical study of fungal esophagitis…»; Samonis et al. 1998; Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines (2026)