Patient expectations as predictor of chemotherapy-induced nausea.
We examined the relationship between patients' pretreatment expectations for nausea and vomiting and their subsequent development in a homogeneous group of 29 female cancer patients receiving platinum-containing chemotherapy as inpatients (Study 1) and in 81 subjects with any of a variety of cancer diagnoses treated largely as outpatients (Study 2). Each study found a significant relationship between patients' expectations for nausea development measured prior to their first treatment and their mean postchemotherapy nausea severity (both, p < 0.05). Patients' expectations accounted for unique variance in nausea severity in each study even after controlling for known pharmacological and physiological predictors of nausea (Study 1: delta R2 = .18, p < .04; Study 2: delta R2 = .05, p < .03). By contrast, we found no significant relationships between expectations for vomiting and subsequent vomiting. Our results support the view that patients' expectations for nausea affect its subsequent development, indicating the presence of a significant psychological component in treatment-related nausea. Implications of this are discussed.
Roscoe
J A
JA
University of Rochester Cancer Center, Behavioral Medicine Unit, NY 14642, USA.
Hickok
J T
JT
Morrow
G R
GR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000523:psychology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000523:psychology*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents