Summary
In a randomized crossover study 57 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy with high emetic potential were treated with low-dose levonantradol or standard-dose metoclopramide and crossed over to the other antiemetic drug in the next identical chemotherapy cycle. In the 45 patients evaluable for treatment response the antiemetic efficacy of levonantradol was significantly better: 62% had less nausea and 58% less vomiting, as against 11% and 16%, respectively, with metoclopramide. Patient preference for antiemetic treatment was levonantradol in 49% and metoclopramide in 22% of cases. Levonantradol treatment was accompanied by a relatively high incidence of side-effects (71%) compared with metoclopramide (29%). The antiemetic efficacy of each single drug was incomplete in most cases of this trial, and antiemetic combination therapy is recommended for further trials.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Citron ML, Herman TS, Fossieck BE, Krasnow SH, Vreeland F, Harwood S, Ortega LG, Cohen MH (1983) Double-blind, randomized, crossover study of the antiemetic effect of levonantradol versus tetrahydrocannabinol. Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res 24:165
Cronin CM, Sallan SE, Gelber R, Lucas VS, Laszlo J (1981) Antiemetic effect of intramuscular levonantradol in patients receiving anticancer chemotherapy. J Clin Pharmacol 21:435–505
Earhart RH, Koeller JM (1983) Levonantradol vs prochlorperazine as parenteral antiemetics in cancer patients receiving cisplatin chemotherapy. Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res 24:163
Gralla RJ, Itri LM, Pisko SE, Squillante AE, Kelsen DP, Braun DW, Bordin LA, Braun TJ, Young CW (1983) Antiemetic efficacy of high-dose metoclopramide: randomized trials with placebo and prochlorperazine in patients with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. N Engl J Med 305:905–909
Heim ME, Queisser W (1982) Behandlung von therapierefraktärem zytostatikainduziertem Erbrechen mit dem synthetischen Cannabinoid Levonantradol. Onkologie 5:94–96
Higi M, Niederle N, Bremer K, Schmitt G, Schmidt CG, Seeber S (1982) Levonantradol bei der Behandlung von zytostatika-bedingter Übelkeit und Erbrechen. Dtsch med Wochenschr 107:1232–1234
Hutcheon AW, Palmer JBD, Soukop M, Cunningham D, McArdle C, Welsh J, Stuart F, Sangster G, Kaye S, Charlton D, Cash H (1983) A randomized multicentre single-blind comparison of a cannabinoid antiemetic (levonantradol) with chloropromazine in patients receiving their first cytotoxic chemotherapy. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 19:1087–1090
Kleeberg UR, Ziegler I, Erdmann H, Brockmann P, Haupt W, Pingonid A (1983) Metoclopramid in hoher Dosierung bei Zytostatika-induziertem, toxischen Erbrechen. Tumor Diagnostik Therapie 4:68–73
Seigel LJ, Longo DL (1981) The control of chemotherapy-induced emesis. Ann Intern Med 95:352–359
Stambough JE, McAdams J, Vreeland F (1982) A phase II randomized trial of the antiemetic activity of levonantradol in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 23:62 (C-240)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Heim, M.E., Queißer, W. & Altenburg, HP. Randomized crossover study of the antiemetic activity of levonantradol and metoclopramide in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. 13, 123–125 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00257128
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00257128