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. 2010 Jul;18(7):869-76.
doi: 10.1007/s00520-009-0723-2. Epub 2009 Aug 23.

Insight in the prediction of chemotherapy-induced nausea

Joseph A Roscoe  1 , Gary R Morrow, Ben Colagiuri, Charles E Heckler, Bryan D Pudlo, Lauren Colman, Karen Hoelzer, Andrew Jacobs
Affiliations

Insight in the prediction of chemotherapy-induced nausea

Joseph A Roscoe et al. Support Care Cancer. 2010 Jul.

Abstract

Purpose: To identify risk factors for chemotherapy-related nausea.

Methods: We examined risk factors for nausea in 1,696 patients from three multicenter studies conducted from 1998 to 2004. All patients were beginning a chemotherapy regimen containing cisplatin, carboplatin, or doxorubicin. Nausea was assessed on a 1-7 scale four times a day for 4 days by diary.

Results: First, average nausea for breast cancer patients receiving doxorubicin (mean = 2.31) was significantly greater than for other patients receiving doxorubicin (mean = 1.82), patients receiving cisplatin (mean = 1.88), and patients receiving carboplatin (mean = 1.45), Ps < 0.01. Second, mean nausea decreased steadily with age, P < 0.0001. Third, patients rating themselves more susceptible to nausea had significantly more nausea (adjusted mean = 2.51) than patients rating themselves less susceptible (adjusted mean = 1.92) and were 2.8 times more likely to experience severe nausea, Ps < 0.0001. Fourth, expected nausea was a significant predictor of average nausea, P = 0.034, but not severe nausea, P = 0.31. Last, no evidence that gender is a significant predictor of nausea in 299 patients with gender neutral cancers, P = 0.35.

Conclusions: Specific patient characteristics, especially younger age and perceived susceptibility to nausea, can help clinicians in the early identification of patients who are more susceptible to treatment-related nausea.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Observed incidence of severe nausea (proportion) and average nausea (mean + SE), following first treatment for breast cancer patients receiving doxorubicin-based treatments compared to other patients
Figure 2
Figure 2
Observed incidence of severe nausea (proportion) and average nausea (mean) in 1178 breast cancer patients following first treatment by age cohort and perceived susceptibility of nausea compared to friends and family members
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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