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State of the Art of Antiemetic Therapy

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Side Effects of Medical Cancer Therapy

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Abstract

Despite relevant progress achieved in the last 20 years for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced emesis, nausea and vomiting continue to be among the most distressing adverse events induced by chemotherapy. Emesis is a complex phenomenon, and the precise mechanism by which chemotherapy induces nausea and vomiting is not well known. Many neurotransmitters are involved, and several antiemetic drugs are available. The complete control of vomiting could be achieved in about 70–90 % of patients with the better combination of antiemetic drugs.

Recently, international guidelines to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting have been updated, and it is very important to know these recommendations and to use them in our clinical practice correctly. However, several aspects of antiemetic therapy will be clarified in the coming years: the improvement of nausea control, the best prophylaxis of delayed emesis induced by multiple days of cisplatin, the prevention of nausea and vomiting induced by high-dose chemotherapy, the control of emesis induced by chemoradiation therapy, and the emesis in children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology, Santa Maria Hospital, Terni, Italy

    Sonia Fatigoni M.D. & Fausto Roila M.D.

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  1. Sonia Fatigoni M.D.
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  2. Fausto Roila M.D.
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Correspondence to Sonia Fatigoni M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Hematology-Oncology, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, Rue Barble 4, Luxembourg, 1210, Luxembourg

    Mario A. Dicato

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Fatigoni, S., Roila, F. (2013). State of the Art of Antiemetic Therapy. In: Dicato, M. (eds) Side Effects of Medical Cancer Therapy. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-787-7_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-787-7_17

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  • Print ISBN: 978-0-85729-786-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-85729-787-7

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