Clinical studies of oral antiemetic drugs on delayed emesis induced by cancer chemotherapy

The effects of oral antiemetic drugs on delayed emesis induced by emetogenic chemotherapy were studied in seventeen patients (43 courses) with gynecological malignancies. On day 1, all patients received intravenous granisetron (40 micrograms/kg) and methylprednisolone (250 mg/body) for the control of acute emesis 0-24 hrs after receiving CDDP or CBDCA. Then they received each oral maintenance drug (dexamethasone 4 mg/day, ondansetron 4 mg/day and metoclopramide 40 mg/day) for the control of delayed emesis from day 2 to day 5. Efficacy rates for delayed emesis were 82.4% in dexamethasone, 75.0% in metoclopramide and 50.0% in ondansetron. The complete response for delayed nausea was 88.5% in metoclopram ide, and the complete response for delayed anorexia of 64.7% in dexamethasone was higher than for other oral drugs. The results suggest the usefulness of oral antiemetic therapy of dexamethasone plus metoclopramide or ondansetron for delayed emesis induced by cancer therapy.