Georgescu G. Daniela 1, Popescu Mihaela 1, Tevet Mihaela 1, Murat Meilin 1, Nita Gabriela Rahnea 2, Ciuhu Anda Natalia 2
1 Department of Hematology, Clinical Hospital „Colentina”, Bucharest, Romania
2 Department of Oncology, Palliative Care for Chronic Patients, Chronic Disease Hospital “St. Luke”, Bucharest, Romania
Abstract
Nausea is an unpleasant sensation associated with aversion to food and impending feeling of vomiting. Vomiting represent the oral expulsion of gastric contents, and is preceded or not by nausea. In hemato – oncology, there are multiple etiological factors of emesis. The antiemetic measures imply to identify and treat reversible causes. Antiemetic drugs can be classified as: antiemetics acting on the central nervous system and double-acting antiemetics. Chemotherapeutic regimens used in the treatment of hematologic and non-hematologic malignancies are accompanied by a degree of emesis. Corroborating the data in the literature, individualized approach is required in the antiemetic treatment adapted to each patient, current guidelines directing the clinician in deciding on the anti-emetic prophylaxis. We analyzed a group of 17 patients aged between 20 and 83 years, eight men and nine women, undergoing cytostatic chemotherapy for hematological and non-hematologic malignancies, hospitalized in the Hematology Department of Clinical Hospital “Colentina” and the Department of Oncology and Palliative Care, Chronic Disease Hospital “St. Luke” from Bucharest. Patient selection was based on the type of chemotherapy, being selected mainly patients undergoing moderate or high emetogenic chemotherapy. In Table 1 there are presented patient characteristics: age, sex, diagnoses, type of diet, anti-emetic scheme, the degree of emesis and the occurrence of adverse reactions to antiemetic therapy. There are presented the conclusions on the use of Palonosetron in the analyzed patients (Table 2). The therapy was well tolerated with no significant side effects and the drug efficiency conforms to the data in the literature, both for hematological and non-hematological malignancies. Conclusions: Anti-emetic prophylaxis is a challenge for clinicians. Beyond current developments, nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy are still the major factors affecting quality of life and compliance with treatment. The Scientific Committees of developing international guidelines are being debated on the strict formal recommendations for the use of antiemetics associated to chemotherapy treatments.