Does increasing the steroid dose enhance the efficacy of the antiemetic combination of granisetron and methylprednisolone in gynecologic cancer patients--a randomized study.
OBJECTIVE
The authors administered two doses of oral methylprednisolone in combination with 3mg granisetron intravenously for the prophylaxis of cisplatin-induced emesis in gynecologic cancer patients.


METHODS
Thirty-nine patients received 100mg (group A) and 25 received 200mg (group B) methylprednisolone in the antiemetic combination in a randomized prospective trial.


RESULTS
No vomiting in 90.2 and 96.7%, one emetic episode in 3 and 1.1% and two episodes in 3 and 2.2% were detected in groups A and B, respectively. More than two emetic episodes were considered to be a failure and were observed only in group A (3.8%). There was no significant difference between the two treatment groups (P=0.3160).


CONCLUSIONS
There was no evidence for enhanced antiemetic effect of elevated steroidal dose in combination with granisetron.
Lehoczky
Ottó
O
Gynecologic Oncology Department, National Institute of Oncology, Rath Gy.u. 7-9, H-1122 Budapest, Hungary. lehoczky@oncol.hu
Udvary
János
J
Bagaméri
Andrea
A
Pulay
Tamás
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D017829:Granisetron / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000932:Antiemetics; D017829:Granisetron; D008775:Methylprednisolone