[Nausea and vomiting induced by antineoplastic therapy]

Abstract

Nausea and vomiting are a persistent burden on cancer patients undergoing antineoplastic therapy, and adherence to guideline-specific prophylactic therapy is essential to minimise the risk. Nausea is more challenging to prevent than vomiting. This review summarises the choices of relevant drugs. Olanzapine is effective against nausea, but sedation can be a problem. There seems to be no major differences in effect or tolerability between different serotonin receptor antagonists and different neurokinin receptor antagonists. Consequently, the choice of drug should be based on price, risk of interactions and simple administration.