Low-dose granisetron for prophylaxis of acute chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (QTNV) are very uncomfortable symptoms for patients with cancer, which can be circumvented in most of them with drug combinations containing serotonin receptor antagonists (5-HT3 receptor antagonists) such as granisetron. In an attempt to decrease costs of QTNV prophylaxis, we studied a lower dose regimen of granisetron.


METHODS
Sixty patients with cancer scheduled to receive moderately/highly emetogenic chemotherapy were pretreated 1 h before with 0.5 mg granisetron p.o. combined with dexamethasone 20 mg i.v.


RESULTS
We observed complete control for nausea, vomiting, and nausea and vomiting in 78% [95% confidence interval (CI), 67-89%], 61% (95% CI, 47.5-74.5%), and 58% (95% CI, 44.3-71.7%) of the patients, respectively. This regimen was very well tolerated; headache (35%), xerostomia (11%), and constipation (5%) were the most frequent adverse symptoms reported.


CONCLUSIONS
The regimen with lower dose granisetron is effective for acute QTNV prophylaxis and offers a cheaper alternative for QTNV control. We feel that these encouraging results should be confirmed in a randomized comparative trial.
Moreno
Janise
J
Disciplina de Oncologia e Hematologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Fundação ABC, São Paulo, Brazil.
Sahade
Marina
M
del Giglio
Auro
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D017829:Granisetron / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*
D017829:Granisetron; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists