title: A comparison of the antiemetic efficacy and safety of intramuscular and intravenous formulations of granisetron in patients receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy.
abstract: A total of 120 patients were treated with granisetron either intramuscular (i.m.) or intravenous (i.v.) in a crossover design, over two successive cycles of moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. Of the 117 patients evaluable for efficacy, 74.4% receiving i.m. and 76.9% receiving i.v. treatment experienced a complete response (no vomiting, no more than mild nausea, no need for rescue medication and no study withdrawal in the 24 h following the onset of chemotherapy). Only a small proportion of the patients experienced any vomiting, either during the first 24 h or in the follow-up period of 4-10 days. There were no statistically significant differences in any of the efficacy parameters between the two routes administration of granisetron. Both formulations of granisetron were also equally well tolerated. The main treatment-related adverse effects were headache and constipation (experienced by 13-15% of patients); local reactions to i.m. injection of granisetron were experienced by 2.6% of patients.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology, Hospital of Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Contu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Olmeo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piro
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sabbatini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Depenni
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Silingardi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaniboni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meriggi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maestri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D017829:Granisetron / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000932:Antiemetics; D017829:Granisetron