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Low-dose granisetron for prophylaxis of acute chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a pilot study

Supportive Care in Cancer volume 13, pages 850–853 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (QTNV) are very uncomfortable symptoms for patients with cancer, which can be circumvented in most of them with drug combinations containing serotonin receptor antagonists (5-HT3 receptor antagonists) such as granisetron. In an attempt to decrease costs of QTNV prophylaxis, we studied a lower dose regimen of granisetron.

Patients and methods

Sixty patients with cancer scheduled to receive moderately/highly emetogenic chemotherapy were pretreated 1 h before with 0.5 mg granisetron p.o. combined with dexamethasone 20 mg i.v.

Results

We observed complete control for nausea, vomiting, and nausea and vomiting in 78% [95% confidence interval (CI), 67–89%], 61% (95% CI, 47.5–74.5%), and 58% (95% CI, 44.3–71.7%) of the patients, respectively. This regimen was very well tolerated; headache (35%), xerostomia (11%), and constipation (5%) were the most frequent adverse symptoms reported.

Conclusions

The regimen with lower dose granisetron is effective for acute QTNV prophylaxis and offers a cheaper alternative for QTNV control. We feel that these encouraging results should be confirmed in a randomized comparative trial.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Disciplina de Oncologia e Hematologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Fundação ABC, São Paulo, Brazil

    Janise Moreno, Marina Sahade & Auro del Giglio

  2. Rua Mariana Correa 369, 01444-000, São Paulo, Brazil

    Auro del Giglio

Authors
  1. Janise Moreno
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  2. Marina Sahade
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  3. Auro del Giglio
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Auro del Giglio.

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Moreno, J., Sahade, M. & del Giglio, A. Low-dose granisetron for prophylaxis of acute chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a pilot study. Support Care Cancer 13, 850–853 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-005-0817-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-005-0817-4

Keywords

  • Antiemetics
  • Granisetron/administration and dosage/economics
  • Vomiting/chemically induced/prevention and control
  • Antineoplastic combined chemotherapy protocols