Drugs
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Granisetron is a selective serotonin3 (5-hydroxytryptamine3, 5-HT3) receptor antagonist which has significant antiemetic activity against chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. A single prophylactic intravenous dose is sufficient to control acute nausea and vomiting in approximately 60 to 70% of patients. In comparative studies, the acute antiemetic efficacy of granisetron is equivalent or superior to that of traditional antiemetic regimens even in patients receiving highly emetogenic cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. ⋯ Thus, recent data confirm that granisetron is an effective and well tolerated agent for the prophylactic treatment of chemotherapy-induced acute nausea and vomiting, with efficacy equivalent or superior to that of other currently available agents. It has a promising role to play in paediatric oncology, and is an effective agent in controlling radiotherapy-induced acute emesis. Granisetron offers comparable or superior efficacy in controlling acute nausea and vomiting with a much simpler dosage regimen than that of traditional antiemetic regimens.