Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology
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Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. · Aug 2003
ReviewGranisetron: is there a dose-response effect on nausea and vomiting?
Nausea and vomiting are two of the most debilitating side effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Prevention of nausea and vomiting is, thus, very important to ensure that cancer patients continue to receive optimal cytotoxic therapy while seeking to maintain their quality of life. Significant advances in antiemetic therapy have been achieved since the introduction of the 5-HT(3) receptor antagonists, and these agents are currently regarded as first-line antiemetic agents. The aim of this article is to examine the hypothesis that there is a dose-response effect of granisetron for preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. ⋯ Those patients experiencing inadequate control of nausea and vomiting following granisetron may also benefit from retreatment with supplementary doses of granisetron, and over subsequent chemotherapy cycles, these patients should receive granisetron 40 micro g/kg to ensure emesis protection.