Inconsistency of prognostic factors for post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting.
A number of prognostic factors have been reported to influence the probability of developing nausea and vomiting after cytotoxic chemotherapy. This study used data collected in four randomized anti-emetic trials conducted by the Clinical Trials Group of the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC-CTG) to assess the consistency of the effects of these prognostic factors. A total of 582 patients, all of whom had received moderately emetogenic chemotherapy for the first time, but who were assigned to different anti-emetics, were included in the analysis. The major findings was that the probability of post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting was much more strongly influenced by the type of chemotherapy given and the type of anti-emetic used than by patient (e.g., age, gender) or environmental (e.g., treatment location, time of administration) characteristics. Further, patient-related factors had different, and sometimes opposite, effects in different anti-emetic and chemotherapy subgroups. Finally, the relative potency of anti-emetics appeared to vary with chemotherapy regimens. Implications of these findings for future studies are discussed.
Pater
J
J
NCIC Clinical Trials Group, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
Slamet
L
L
Zee
B
B
Osoba
D
D
Warr
D
D
Rusthoven
J
J
D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000009:adverse effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D017829:Granisetron / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008787:Metoclopramide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014839:Vomiting / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000932:Antiemetics; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin; D003907:Dexamethasone; D004317:Doxorubicin; D017829:Granisetron; D008775:Methylprednisolone; D008787:Metoclopramide; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; C060190:batanopride