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Year:
1999
| Volume: 7
| Issue: 4
| Pages: 145-148
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Original Article |
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ANTICIPATORY EMESIS IN CANCER PATIENTS, TREATED WITH HIGH - AND MODERATELY EMETOGENIC CHEMOTHERAPY
Julian RAYNOV, Rumen STANCHEV, Atanas RADINOV, Tatjana KANCHEVA |
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DOI:
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Abstract: |
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Background: The aim of this paper was to investigate frequency of the anticipatory nausea and vomiting (ANV) in cancer patients, treated with high emetogenic (HECHT) and moderately emetogenic (MECHT) chemotherapy, the factors influencing it and to assess the results of the treatment with a benzodiazepin Diazepam.
Methods: Eighty-eight (48.9%) patients received HECHT and 92 (51.5%) MECHT. The antiemetic therapy (AET) included metoclopramide (MCL) and combination with corticosteroids (CS) and diazepam - MCL "cocktail", ondansetron (OND), granisetron (GRA), tropisetron (TRO) as monotherapy or combination with CS and also AET "variant". ANV was evaluated from the medical history and the patient diary. The treatment of the ANV was performed with diazepam tabl. 5 mg (bid) in 3 consecutive days before each course of chemotherapy.
Results: ANV was observed in 15 (17.0%) patients with HECHT: 11 (73.3%) males and 4 (26.7%) females. ANV was established in 14 (15.2%) patients with MECHT: 3 (21.4%) males and 11 (78.6%) females. ANV increased significantly in patients from the HECHT group, treated with MCL and MCL "cocktail" till 26.6% - p<0.001. This difference was not significant in the setrons group - 6.5% (p>0.05) and in the AET "variant" group - 3.7% (p>0.10). ANV significantly increased in the MECHT group: in patients treated with MCL±CS - 13.5% (p<0.001) and OND±CS - 18.2% (p<0.01). Patients, who obtained positive response with diazepam, were 46.7% in the HECHT vs 42.9% in MECHT group. We did not establish significant influence of chemotherapy, age and gender over the ANV.
Conclusion: The principal factor influencing ANV was the control of the acute phase in the last course of chemotherapy. Diazepam used as the single agent does not cure the ANV. It is necessary to create a complex management methods for ANV. |
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Key words:
Chemotherapy; Side effects; Anticipatory nausea; Anticipatory vomiting; Management |
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