treatment
Current status and future
considerations in treatment
Continuing research into the development of new antiemetics
is necessary to provide an improved quality of life for both adult
and paediatric cancer patients
Tiene Bauters PharmD PhD
Department of Pharmacy,
Department of Pediatric
Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell
Transplantation, Ghent University
Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
Chemotherapy-induced
nausea and vomiting (CINV)
remains one of the most feared
and disturbing side effects of
cancer treatment. Inadequately
controlled CINV can lead to
anorexia, dehydration,
malnutrition, and metabolic
imbalances, and has a detrimental
effect on the quality of life. Severe
symptoms of CINV can even lead
to withdrawal from the curative
treatment regimen. 1–3
In the last three decades,
a better understanding of the
pathophysiology of CINV, greater
adherence to international
guidelines, and the introduction
of new pharmacologic classes of
antiemetics have led to a better
control of CINV. Although a
number of new drugs have been
approved for the management of
CINV in recent years, a significant
number of patients still experience
CINV. The management of nausea
in particular remains a huge
challenge. 3
Classification of
chemotherapeutics according
to emetogenicity
Management of CINV has been
facilitated by the introduction of
schedules and the classification
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