title: Comparison of antiemetic efficacy between single and repeated treatments with a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist in breast cancer patients with high-risk emetogenic chemotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The significance of repeated treatment with the 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist for prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced emesis remains to be clarified.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was performed to compare the effects of single and repeated treatment with granisetron on anorexia, nausea and vomiting in patients with breast cancer who undertook anthracycline and cyclophosphamide-based cancer chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The control of anorexia was significantly better in the single treatment group than in the repeated treatment group (54% versus 73%; odds ratio (OR), 0.433; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 0.226-0.828; p=0.016), although the rate of complete response to any signs of the gastrointestinal side-effects was not different between the two groups (37% versus 39%; OR, 0.911; CI, 0.489-1.700; p=0.874). However, the incidence of constipation was more frequent in the repeated treatment group (60% versus 37%; OR, 2.586; CI, 1.388-4.818; p=0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Repeated treatment with 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist is not likely to be beneficial to breast cancer patients who undertook anthracycline/cyclophosphamide combination chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Hirotoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iihara
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Komori
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanizawa
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058831:Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000932:Antiemetics; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D058831:Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists