title: The impact of chemotherapy-related nausea on patients' nutritional status, psychological distress and quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nausea is a troublesome and distressing symptom for patients receiving chemotherapy. While vomiting is well controlled with current antiemetics, nausea is a more difficult symptom to manage. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of nausea on nutritional status, quality of life and psychological distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective observational study over two cycles of chemotherapy. Patients completed the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer Antiemesis Tool, a measure of nutritional status (Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) quality of life scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at the end of each chemotherapy cycle (around day 10 post-chemotherapy).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample consisted of 104 patients, primarily female, receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy. While vomiting was minimal (5.2-14.6 % of the patients), high levels of nausea were observed (55.2-72.9 %), and severe nausea (>6 on a 0-10 scale) was reported by 20.5-29.2 % of the participants. Severe nausea had a borderline significant impact in relation to physical functioning (p = 0.025) and a significant impact on nutritional status (severe acute nausea, p = 0.003; severe delayed nausea, p = 0.017). Clinically meaningful changes were observed in relation to the FACT-G total score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chemotherapy-induced nausea does have an impact on nutritional status and physical functioning and can impair anxiety and quality of life. As a key symptom associated with other symptoms, it is imperative that greater attention is given to managing treatment-related nausea through innovative non-pharmacological and nutritional interventions.
authors.affiliation: Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.forename: Sarah G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Brearley
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pilling
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molassiotis
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000009:adverse effects; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000523:psychology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents