Guidelines for the control of nausea and vomiting with chemotherapy of low or minimal emetic potential

• Published in: Supportive care in cancer 2011-03, Vol.19 (Suppl 1), p.33-36
• Main Authors: Olver, Ian, Clark-Snow, Rebecca A., Ballatori, Enzo, Espersen, Birgitte T., Bria, Emilio, Jordan, Karin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antiemetics - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects; Cancer; Chemotherapy; Dexamethasone; Dexamethasone - administration & dosage; Dopamine Antagonists - administration & dosage; Gastrointestinal agents; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nausea; Nausea - chemically induced; Nausea - drug therapy; Nausea - prevention & control; Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists; Nursing; Nursing Research; Oncology; Pain Medicine; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Preventive medicine; Rehabilitation Medicine; Serotonin Antagonists - administration & dosage; Side effects; Special Article; Vomiting; Vomiting - chemically induced; Vomiting - drug therapy; Vomiting - prevention & control
• ISSN: 0941-4355; 1433-7339
• DOI: 10.1007/s00520-010-0985-8

Purpose The purpose of this study is to update the guidelines for antiemetic therapy to be used with anticancer agents of low to minimal emetic potential. Methods Experts from the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) met in Perugia in 2009 to revise the MASCC antiemetic consensus guidelines. There is an increasing number of anticancer agents which are classified as being associated with a low or minimal risk of nausea and vomiting. However, the emetic potential of such agents and particularly those given as prolonged oral therapy is not well documented, and neither is the optimal antiemetic therapy. Results The consensus is that patients receiving anticancer therapy of low emetic potential should receive single-agent antiemetic prophylaxis such as dexamethasone, 5 hydroxytryptamine3 (5HT3) receptor antagonists, or dopamine receptor antagonists. Those receiving anticancer therapy of minimal emetic potential and who have no prior history of nausea and vomiting should not receive antiemetic prophylaxis. Those who experience nausea and vomiting subsequently can receive single-agent dexamethasone, 5HT3 receptor antagonists, or dopamine receptor antagonists. Conclusions More data are needed on the emetic potential and the outcome of antiemetic treatment with agents likely to fall into the low or minimal emetic potential category.