Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: pathophysiology and therapeutic principles.
Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a major determinant of quality of life in cancer patients. In addition, the perceptions that oncology professionals have about CINV quite often do not coincide with reality. Antineoplastic agents and their combinations can be categorised according to their emetogenic level, and this categorisation is helpful for classifying the severity of CINV and treating it. All CINV treatment guidelines emphasise the need to administer prophylaxis to patients who receive highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. With the introduction of NK1 receptor antagonists, the control of acute and delayed CINV after highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy schedules has improved in the great majority of patients. NK1 receptor antagonists have been demonstrated to improve the control of CINV in all risk subgroups of patients.
Servicio de Oncología Médica, Hospital Juan Ramón Jiménez, C/ Ronda Norte, s/n, ES-21005 Huelva, Spain. juanbayo@yahoo.es
Juan
J
Bayo
Paula J
PJ
Fonseca
Susana
S
Hernando
S
S
Servitja
A
A
Calvo
S
S
Falagan
Estefanía
E
García
Iria
I
González
María José
MJ
de Miguel
Quionia
Q
Pérez
Ana
A
Milena
Antonio
A
Ruiz
Agustí
A
Barnadas
D000932:Antiemetics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology
D000932:Antiemetics; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents