Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes
Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2003

Open Access 01-12-2003 | Review

Impact of Nausea and Vomiting on Quality of Life in Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy

Authors: Enzo Ballatori, Fausto Roila

Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes | Issue 1/2003

Login to get access

Abstract

It is commonly claimed that the nausea and vomiting accompanying cytotoxic chemotherapy have a negative impact on health-related quality of life. While this may seem self-evident, until a few years ago there was little empirical data demonstrating that the failure to control postchemotherapy emesis affects aspects of quality of life.
In spite of their limitations, several observational studies showed that nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy induced a decrease in health-related quality of life with respect to patients without nausea and vomiting. This has also been demonstrated after the adjustment for health-related quality of life before chemotherapy that is an important prognostic factor of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
Furthermore, one study suggests that the optimal time of assessment of quality of life to evaluate the impact of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is day 4 if a 3-day recall period is used or day 8 when the recall period is 7 days.
In double-blind studies the efficacy, tolerability and impact on quality of life of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonists was superior with respect to metoclopramide, alizapride and prochlorperazine. Similar results have been achieved with the combination of ondansetron with dexamethasone, the standard treatment for the prevention of acute emesis induced by moderately emetogenic chemotherapy, with respect to the metoclopramide plus dexamethasone combination. Instead, in another double-blind study, in patients submitted to moderately emetogenic chemotherapy, a 5-HT3 antagonist did not seem to significantly increase complete protection from delayed emesis and the patients' quality of life with respect to dexamethasone alone. In conclusion, the evaluation of quality of life in randomized trials comparing different antiemetic drugs for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting can add important information useful for the choice of the optimal antiemetic treatment.
Literature
1.
Coates A, Abraham S, Kaye SB, Sowerbutts T, Frewin C, Fox RM, Tattersall MHN: On the receiving end – patient perception of the side effects of cancer chemotherapy. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 1983, 19: 203–208.PubMedCrossRef
2.
De Boer-Dennert M, de Wit R, Schmitz PIM, Djontono J, van Beurden V, Verweij J: Patient perceptions of the side-effect of chemotherapy: the influence of 5HT 3 antagonists. Br J Cancer 1997, 76: 1055–1061.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef
3.
Griffin AM, Butow PN, Coates AS, Childs AM, Ellis PM, Dunn SM, Tattersall MHN: On the receiving end: patient perceptions of the side effects of cancer chemotherapy in 1993. Ann Oncol 1996, 7: 189–195.PubMedCrossRef
4.
The Italian Group for Antiemetic Research: Dexamethasone alone or in combination with ondansetron for the prevention of delayed nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy. N Engl J Med 2000, 342: 1554–1559. 10.1056/NEJM200005253422102CrossRef
5.
The Italian Group for Antiemetic Research: Transferability to clinical practice of the results of controlled clinical trials: the case of antiemtic prophylactic treatment for cancer chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Ann Oncol 1998, 9: 759–765. 10.1023/A:1017132123411CrossRef
6.
Lindley CM, Hirsch JD: Nausea and vomiting and cancer patients' quality of life: a discussion of professor Selby's paper. Br J Cancer 1992,66(Suppl XIX):S26-S29.
7.
Bliss JM, Robertson B, Selby PJ: The impact of nausea and vomiting upon quality of life measures. Br J Cancer 1992,66(Suppl XIX):S14-S23.
8.
Lindley CM, Hirsch JD, O'Neill CV, Transau MC, Gilbert CS, Osterhaus JT: Quality of life consequences of chemotherapy-induced emesis. Qual Life Res 1992, 1: 331–340.PubMedCrossRef
9.
Schipper H, Clinch J, McMurray A, Levitt M: Measuring the quality of life of cancer patients: the Functional Living Index-Cancer: development and validation. J Clin Oncol 1984, 2: 472–483.PubMed
10.
Berry WR, House W, Lee JT, Plagge PB, Meshad MW, Grapski R: Results of a compassionate-use program using intravenous ondansetron to prevent nausea and vomiting in patients receiving emetogenic cancer chemotherapy. Semin Oncol 1992,19(6 Suppl 15):33–37.PubMed
11.
O'Brien BJ, Rusthoven J, Rocchi A, Latreille J, Fine S, Vandenberg T, Laberge F: Impact of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on patients' functional status and costs: survey of five Canadian centers. Can Med Assoc J 1993, 149: 296–302.
12.
Osoba D, Zee B, Pater J, Warr D, Latreille J, Kaizer L, for the Quality of Life and Symptom Control Committees of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group: Determinants of postchemotherapy nausea and vomiting in patients with cancer. J Clin Oncol 1997, 15: 116–123.PubMed
13.
Osoba D, Zee B, Warr D, Latreille J, Kaizer L, Pater J: Effect of postchemotherapy nausea and vomiting on health-related quality of life. Support Care Cancer 1997, 5: 307–313. 10.1007/s005200050078PubMedCrossRef
14.
Aaronson NK, Ahmedzai S, Bergman B, Bullinger M, Cull A, Duez NJ, Filiberti A, Flechtner H, Fleishman SB, de Haes JCJM, Kaasa S, Klee M, Osoba D, Razavi D, Rofe PB, Schraub S, Sneeuw K, Sullivan M, Takeda F, for the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Study Group on Quality of Life: The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30: a quality-of-life instrument for use in international trials in oncology. J Natl Cancer Inst 1993, 85: 365–376. 10.1093/jnci/85.5.365PubMedCrossRef
15.
Pater JL, Osoba D, Zee B, Lofters W, Gore M, Dempsey E, Palmer M, Chin C: Effects of altering the time of administration and the time frame of quality of life assessment in clinical trials: an example using the EORTC QLQ-C30 in a large anti-emetic trial. Qual Life Res 1998, 7: 273–278.PubMedCrossRef
16.
Rusthoven JJ, Osoba D, Butts CA, Yelle L, Findlay H, Grenville A: The impact of postchemotherapy nausea and vomiting on quality of life after moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. Support Care Cancer 1998, 6: 389–395. 10.1007/s005200050182PubMedCrossRef
17.
Soukop M, McQuade B, Hunter E, Stewart A, Kaye S, Cassidy J, Kerr D, Khanna S, Smyth J, Coleman R, Cunningham D, Powels T, Davidson N, Hutcheon A, Geen J, Slater A, Rustin G, Carney D: Ondansetron compared with metoclopramide in the control of emesis and quality of life during repeated chemotherapy for breast cancer. Oncol 1992, 49: 295–304.CrossRef
18.
De Haes JCJM, Van Knippenberg FCE, Nejit JP: Measuring psychological and physical distress in cancer patients: Structure and application of the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist. Br J Cancer 1990, 62: 1034–1038.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef
19.
Clavel M, Bonneterre J, d'Allens H, Paillarse JM, and the French Ondansetron Study Group: Oral ondansetron in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced emesis in breast cancer patients. Eur J Cancer 1995, 31A: 15–19. 10.1016/0959-8049(94)00369-GPubMedCrossRef
20.
Crucitt MA, Hyman W, Grote T, Tester W, Madajewicz S, Yee S, Wentz A, Griffin D, Parasuraman TV, Bryson J: Efficacy and tolerability of oral ondansetron versus prochlorperazine in the prevention of emesis associated with cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy and maintenance of health-related quality of life. Clin Ther 1996, 18: 778–788. 10.1016/S0149-2918(96)80226-8PubMedCrossRef
21.
Lofters WS, Pater JL, Zee B, Dempsey E, Walde D, Moquin JP, Wilson K, Hoskins P, Guevin M, Verma S, Navari R, Krook JE, Hainsworth J, Palmer M, Chin C: Phase III double-blind comparison of dolasetron mesylate and ondansetron and an evaluation of the additive role of dexamethasone in the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting due to moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol 1997, 15: 2966–2973.PubMed
22.
Pater JL, Lofters WS, Zee B, Dempsey E, Walde D, Moquin JP, Wilson K, Hoskins P, Guevin RM, Verma S, Navari R, Krook JE, Hainsworth J, Palmer M, Chin C: The role of the 5-HT 3 antagonists ondansetron and dolasetron in the control of delayed onset nausea and vomiting in patients receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. Ann Oncol 1997, 8: 181–185. 10.1023/A:1008247830641PubMedCrossRef
23.
Garbe C, Drechsler S, Fiedler H, Tilgen W, Landthaler M, Schroeder K, Kuehne KH, Faerber L: Dose comparison of tropisetron (Navoban) 5 mg and 10 mg orally in the prophylaxis of dacarbazine-induced nausea and emesis. Semin Oncol 1994,21(5 Suppl 9):12–16.PubMed
24.
Barrenetxea G, Schneider J, Centeno MM, Romero H, de la Rica M, Rodriguez-Escudero FJ: Chemotherapy-induced emesis: management of early and delayed emesis in milder emetogenic regimens. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 1996, 38: 471–475. 10.1007/s002800050513PubMedCrossRef
25.
Lebeau B, Depierre A, Giovannini M, Rivière A, Kaluzinski L, Votan B, Hédouin M, d'Allens H, the French Ondansetron Study Group: The efficacy of a combination of ondansetron, methylprednisolone and metopimazine in patients previously uncontrolled with a dual antiemetic treatment in cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Ann Oncol 1997, 8: 887–892. 10.1023/A:1008276412559PubMedCrossRef
26.
Kobayashi K, Ishihara Y, Nukariya N, Niitani H, Furue H, Joint Research Group for Tropisetron Double-Blind Comparative Study: Effects of anti-emetic drug (tropisetron) on quality of life during chemotherapy: use of a diary-type questionnaire and application of summary measures for assessment in a randomized, multicentre study. Respirology 1999, 4: 229–238. 10.1046/j.1440-1843.1999.00180.xPubMedCrossRef
27.
Ishihara Y, Nukariya N, Kobayashi K, Furue H, Niitani H: The development of a new QOL questionnaire on chemotherapy-induced emesis and vomiting – investigation of reliability and validity. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 1996, 23: 745–755.PubMed
28.
Sorbe BG, Hogberg T, Glimelius B, Schmidt M, Wernsted L, Hansen O, Sorensen BT, Raisanen I, van Oosterom AT, de Bruijn KM: A randomized, multicenter study comparing the efficacy and tolerability of tropisetron, a new 5-HT 3 receptor antagonist, with a metoclopramide-containing antiemetic cocktail in the prevention of cisplatin-induced emesis. Cancer 1994, 73: 445–454.PubMedCrossRef
29.
Drechsler S, Bruntsch U, Eggert J, Grote-Kiehn J, Gosse H, Bangerter M, Ukena D, Oehm C, Mezger J, Faerber L, Inhoff W, Untch M, Gallmeier WM: Comparison of three tropisetron-containing antiemetic regimens in the prophylaxis of acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced emesis and nausea. Support Care Cancer 1997, 5: 387–395. 10.1007/s005200050097PubMedCrossRef
30.
Torok J, Thurzo L, Nyari T: Serotonin antagonists and metoclopramide in the prophylaxis of cisplatin-induced vomiting in patients with ovarian cancer. Antiemetic and quality of life comparison. EHP 1999, 5: 15–19.
31.
Lachaine J, Laurier C, Langleben A, Vaillant L: Cost-effectiveness and quality of life evaluation of ondansetron and metoclopramide for moderately emetogenic chemotherapy regimens in breast cancer. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 1999, 32: 5–12.CrossRef
32.
Uyl-de Groot CA, Wait S, Buijt I: Economics and health-related quality of life in antiemetic therapy; recommendations for trial design. Eur J Cancer 2000, 36: 1522–1535. 10.1016/S0959-8049(00)00132-5PubMedCrossRef
Metadata
Title
Impact of Nausea and Vomiting on Quality of Life in Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy
Authors
Enzo Ballatori
Fausto Roila
Publication date
01-12-2003
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes / Issue 1/2003
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7525
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-1-46

Other articles of this Issue 1/2003

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2003 Go to the issue

Research

Functional status of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome in the Wichita, Kansas, population

Review

Assessment of oral health related quality of life

Research

Medication Use by Persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Results of a Randomized Telephone Survey in Wichita, Kansas

Commentary

Evaluation of support groups for women with breast cancer: importance of the navigator role

Review

Outcomes and quality of life following breast cancer treatment in older women: When, why, how much, and what do women want?

Review

The Quality of Life Scale (QOLS): Reliability, Validity, and Utilization