Chemotherapy is a method of cancer treatment, an important element of which is anti-emetic prophylaxis. Insufficiently effective prevention of nausea and vomiting, which is the most common side effect of chemotherapy, may not only lead to the patient becoming unwell, but also to disrupt the continuity of cancer treatment, or even to terminate it. What is anti-emetic prophylaxis? What kind of antiemetics are used during chemotherapy?
Chemotherapyis a method of cancer treatment, an important element of which isanti-emetic prophylaxis . In the case of using chemotherapy without anti-emetic prophylaxis, nausea and vomiting appear in about 80% of patients. patients. These, in turn, lead not only to the ill he alth of patients, but also to serious metabolic or water and electrolyte complications, which may lead to disruption or even discontinuation of cancer treatment.
Chemotherapy - what determines the occurrence of nausea and vomiting?
In chronological terms, nausea and vomiting are classified as early (within the first 24 hours after chemotherapy), late (after 24 hours), or predictive (before the next course of chemotherapy). Their frequency depends on the ability of anticancer drugs to induce nausea and vomiting (the so-calledemetogenicity of chemotherapy ). Depending on the risk of nausea and vomiting, there arecytostatic drugs( anticancer ) o:
- high risk (nausea and vomiting in over 90% of patients);
- medium risk (nausea and vomiting in 30-90% of patients);
- low and minimal risk (nausea and vomiting in 10-30% and less than 10% of patients, respectively);
Currently, the most commonly used chemotherapy is chemotherapy with a high or moderate risk of nausea and vomiting.
Chemotherapy - what is anti-emetic prophylaxis?
Antiemetic prophylaxis consists in administering to the patient, in individually determined doses, drugs adjusted to the predetermined risk of nausea and vomiting. This is usually a combination therapy as the use oftwo or more antiemetics at the same time is significantly more effective than monotherapy.
According to the recommendations of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)antiemetics( antiemetics ) with the highest therapeutic index are serotonin receptor antagonists and corticosteroids that are used in combination therapy. Therefore, they are administered to patients receiving cytostatics associated with a high risk of vomiting. It is the first-line treatment, unless there are contraindications to the use of corticosteroids. However, these drugs are very effective and have few side effects if properly dosed. Such therapy provides complete control of early vomiting in approximately 75% of patients. patients (58-96%) who received the drug in high doses.
Patients receiving cytostatics with an average risk of inducing vomiting are offered the administration of corticosteroids. On the other hand, patients who are administered cytostatics with a low risk of inducing vomiting should not be given anti-emetic drugs prior to chemotherapy.
Antiemetic prophylaxis also involves the use of the so-called supportive drugs such as benzodiazepines and antihistamines.
This will be useful to you» Antiemetics are taken orally, usually half an hour or even an hour before taking a cytostatic (anti-cancer drug).
» It is recommended to have a non-oral antiemetic drug with you, e.g. in the form of a suppository.
» During chemotherapy it is recommended to follow an easily digestible diet so as not to burden the stomach. You should eat less and more often. Foods are recommended to be eaten very slowly and chewed well. When it comes to drinks, it's best to reach for water or unsweetened fruit juices.