The Pan European Emesis Registry (PEER): a critical appraisal of the Italian experience.
OBJECTIVE
Data from a large European prospective observational study were analysed to describe the antiemetic prescribing pattern for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in Italian clinical practice.


METHODS
Post hoc analysis of the Pan European Emesis Registry in chemo-naïve adults initiating single-day highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC or MEC) for cancer.


RESULTS
A total of 211 eligible patients were enrolled in the Italian centres, 180 were included in the analyses for cycle 1; 50·6% received MEC. The use of guideline-consistent CINV prophylaxis (GCCP) varied substantially between acute and delayed phases (54·4% during the acute phase vs. 29·4% in the overall 120-hour study period, acute plus delayed phases). Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist was added to the prophylaxis with dexamethasone+5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 receptor antagonists in only 11·1% of patients (vs. 57·2% of the entire European study population). In the GCCP group, the complete response rate was significantly higher than that recorded in the guideline-inconsistent CINV prophylaxis (GICP) group (75·5 vs. 53·5%, P = 0·006).


CONCLUSIONS
The proportion of guideline-consistent antiemetic therapy was quite low in the Italian population as it was in the overall European population. The implementation of specific guidelines' recommendations for chemotherapeutic regimens administered according to standard protocols could be considered as a means to reduce the burden of CINV.
Istituto Oncologico Veneto, IRCCS, Padova, Italy.
Davide
D
Pastorelli
Maria Adelia
MA
Locatelli
Barbara
B
Melotti
Carmela
C
Pisano
Salvatore
S
Turano
Umberto
U
Mellino
Nicoletta
N
Provinciali
Paolo
P
Marchetti
Claudio
C
Dazzi
Massimiliano
M
Berretta
Anna
A
Giordano
Vito
V
Lorusso
D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000932:Antiemetics; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents