Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Easing patients' fear and discomfort with effective antiemetic regimens.
Patients receiving chemotherapy should be given optimal antiemetic therapy to maximize their comfort initially and to prevent development of delayed and anticipatory nausea and vomiting. Understanding the mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting allows the healthcare team to design drug regimens capable of avoiding these side effects. Prevention is important, because side effects can be debilitating and sometimes dose-limiting, and up to 10% of patients refuse chemotherapy altogether to avoid them. In general, combination antiemetic therapy is preferred over single-agent therapy for chemotherapeutic regimens that produce moderate to severe adverse effects.
Bilgrami
S
S
University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington.
Fallon
B G
BG
D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000932:Antiemetics; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents