Evaluation of nausea and vomiting in oncology patients treated with chemotherapy: a retrospective study

Background: Aim of the study: To evaluate nausea and vomiting presence and potential related factors in oncologic patients treated with chemotherapy having different emetic effects. viii42 | session B: supportive and palliative care Volume 20 | Supplement 8 | October 2009 session B Annals of Oncology at Uni Torino Dip Sanità Pubblica Microbiologia on November 17, 2012 http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from Patients and Method: 150 random clinical records from patients treated with chemotherapy during the early six months of 2007 were evaluated. Patients were divided into three groups based on the emetic effect of chemotherapy: high, medium or low. Several data were collected from the clinical records: age, sex, weight, kind of tumour, surgery, supportive care, chemotherapy cycle, antiemetic therapy, radiotherapy, nausea and vomiting level (according to the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events scale, NCI), side effects, kind of feeding, alcohol consumption and smoking. At the beginning of chemotherapy cycle every patient received an antiemetic prophylaxis schedule, based on guideline advices. Results: Comparing collected data, nausea and vomiting onset resulted to be affected by some parameters: 1. Sex gender: female patients are more subject to show such effects then male one. 2. Emetic effect of the drug, in fact symptoms onset is dose-related. 3. Alcohol consumption, as reported in literature it is a protective factor against nausea and vomiting even if consumption is avoided during chemotherapy. In this study the age is not related to nausea and vomiting onset, but median age is 60.4, so an elderly sample. In literature young people seems to suffer more from those effects. Conclusion: In the last years many progress had been made in prevent nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy but a suboptimal control remains a problem for a significant part of patients.