ABSTRACT
Nausea and vomiting are considered one of the most distressing side-effects of chemotherapy. Complete control of acute and delayed emesis improves quality of life and increases adherence to treatment. The frequency of nausea and vomiting depends primarily on the emetogenic potential of the chemotherapeutic agents used. With the standard antiemetic therapy (5HT-3 receptor antagonists in combination with dexamethasone) approximately 13% of patients receiving chemotherapy have vomiting in the acute phase and almost 50% in the delayed phase. A new group of antiemetic drugs, the neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists, in combination with standard therapy significantly improves emesis protection in the acute and in the delayed phase, although control of nausea is not so effective. Nowadays chemotherapy-induced emesis still occurs. Recent developments in antiemetic therapy and responsibility to achieve the best control of nausea and vomiting in patients receiving chemotherapy justified a review of this problem, which is frequently underestimated by physicians and nurses.
Subject(s)
Antiemetics/therapeutic use , Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects , Nausea/chemically induced , Nausea/prevention & control , Vomiting/chemically induced , Vomiting/prevention & control , HumansABSTRACT
Las náuseas y los vómitos continúan siendo uno de los efectos adversos más temidos por los pacientes en tratamiento con quimioterapia. Un control adecuado de la emesis inducida por la quimioterapia mejora la calidad de vida. La frecuencia de náuseas y vómitos depende principalmente del agente quimioterapéutico empleado. Con el tratamiento antiemético actual (antagonistas de la serotonina y dexametasona) aproximadamente el 13% de los pacientes presenta vómitos en la fase aguda y casi un 50%, en la tardía. Los antagonistas del receptor de la neurocinina-1, asociados al tratamiento antiemético estándar, mejoran significativamente el control de la emesis aguda y de la emesis tardía, aunque no son tan eficaces en la prevención de las náuseas. Actualmente, se debería conseguir el control completo de las náuseas y los vómitos en los pacientes con cáncer en tratamiento quimioterapéutico
Nausea and vomiting are considered one of the most distressing side-effects of chemotherapy. Complete control of acute and delayed emesis improves quality of life and increases adherence to treatment. The frequency of nausea and vomiting depends primarily on the emetogenic potential of the chemotherapeutic agents used. With the standard antiemetic therapy (5HT-3 receptor antagonists in combination with dexamethasone) approximately 13% of patients receiving chemotherapy have vomiting in the acute phase and almost 50% in the delayed phase. A new group of antiemetic drugs, the neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists, in combination with standard therapy significantly improves emesis protection in the acute and in the delayed phase, although control of nausea is not so effective. Nowadays chemotherapy-induced emesis still occurs. Recent developments in antiemetic therapy and responsibility to achieve the best control of nausea and vomiting in patients receiving chemotherapy justified a review of this problem, which is frequently underestimated by physicians and nurses
