OBJECTIVES: Taste dysfunction is a common, debilitating problem for head and neck cancer treatment survivors (HNCTS). When taste is impaired eating is not as enjoyable, appetite is diminished and overall health related quality of life (HRQoL) is diminished.  However, the extent to which taste impairment in HNCTS remains altered over time is not well understood.  METHODS: The Ovid MEDLINE®, SCOPUS, and CINAHL data bases were searched for reports of HNCTS in which taste function was measured.  Eligible studies compared taste scores baseline to up to five years post treatment.  3872 reports were identified in the literature search and 20 studies were suitable for inclusion in the final analysis. Estimates of effect size of head and neck cancer therapy on taste dysfunction were extracted from each study.  A descriptive meta-analysis was conducted using Comprehensive Meta-analysis software (Version 2, Biostat, Englewood, NJ). RESULTS: The meta-analysis included data on 1526 subjects.  The sample was predominantly young in age (mean age is 59.11 years) and 66.8% male. Head and neck cancer treatment survivors reported statistically significantly worse taste scores 6 months or longer after completing all cancer treatment.  The summary effect for the standard measure difference between pretreatment and post-treatment taste scores was 0.331 (p=<0.001).  The sample was highly heterogeneous in terms of country, tumor site, and therapy, so a random effects model was chosen for data analysis.  Heterogeneity testing supported this decision (Q=82.08, df