title: Effect of increase in duration of aprepitant consumption from 3 to 6 days on the prevention of nausea and vomiting in women receiving combination of anthracycline/cyclophosphamide chemotherapy: A randomized, crossover, clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aprepitant is one of the effective antiemetic drugs that usually used for a period of 3 days for prevention of anthracycline/cyclophosphamide (AC) induced nausea and vomiting. However, many patients still experience nausea and vomiting on days 3-5. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an increase in duration of aprepitant consumption from 3 to 6 days on the prevention of nausea and vomiting in women receiving AC chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was a randomized, crossover, controlled clinical trial. Women with breast cancer and scheduled to receive AC regimens were enrolled in this study. Enrolled patients were randomized into two groups. Group I received 3 days regimen of aprepitant in the first course of AC regimen chemotherapy and 6 days regimen of aprepitant in the second course; Group II received 6 days regimen followed by 3 days regimen. For nausea and vomiting assessment, we used Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-nine patients were enrolled in this study. Sixty-three percent achieved a complete response with 6 days aprepitant regimen compared with 39% with 3 days regimen (P < 0.001). Ten percent had at least one vomiting episode during the 6 days regimen versus 15% with 3 days regimen (P = 0.034). Nausea was significantly more severe in 3 days regimen of aprepitant than in 6 days regimen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increase in the duration of aprepitant consumption through 6 days resulted in significantly better prevention of nausea and vomiting than 3 days consumption for women receiving AC chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Negah Chaabi
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Ahvazi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Simin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hemati
authors.affiliation: Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohamadianpanah
keywords: Anthracycline; aprepitant; chemotherapy; cyclophosphamide; drug-related side effects; nausea; vomiting