title: Tropisetron in the prevention of nausea and vomiting in 131 children receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy.
abstract: Tropisetron (Navoban, Sandoz Pharma Ltd., Basel, Switzerland), a selective antagonist of the serotonin receptor (5-HT3) dosed once-daily at 0.2 mg/kg (with a maximum of 5 mg daily), was evaluated in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in 131 children with a median age of 5 years (age 10 weeks to 21 years). Acute lymphocytic leukemia was the most common malignancy (49%). Most children (82%) had received cytotoxic chemotherapy before enrollment. Patients received tropisetron during one or more courses of chemotherapy (455 courses in total). Tropisetron was administered slowly intravenously as a single dose before the start of chemotherapy on day 1 and intravenously or by mouth the subsequent days as a single daily dose (median treatment duration: 5 days). Response to tropisetron per 24 hour period on the first 5 days of each chemotherapy course was graded as complete (absence of both nausea and vomiting), partial (one to four vomits and/or less than 5 hours of nausea), or failure. Overall complete response on day 1 was observed in 305 out of 455 chemotherapy courses (67%). The patients receiving intravenous chemotherapy (N = 92) had a 70% complete response rate and a 26% partial response rate on day 1, both for course 1 and course 2. The percentage of complete responders increased the subsequent days of the course. Emesis after day 1 was observed primarily during courses with the most emetogenic chemotherapy. No side-effects of tropisetron other than a single case of diarrhoea were documented in this study.
authors.affiliation: Ghent University Hospital, Belgium.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Benoit
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hulstaert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vermylen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sariban
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hoyoux
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uyttebroeck
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Otten
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laureys
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Kerpel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nortier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000077526:Tropisetron; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000932:Antiemetics; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007211:Indoles; D000077526:Tropisetron