| |
The table below compares
prevalence of chemotherapy-related NV in 300 consecutive patients
treated in community practices prior to the availability of 5-HT3
antiemetics (9/87 - 1/91) with NV in a second sample of 300 patients
treated after their commercial introduction (9/93 - 2/95). Findings
show that:
- 86% of the later
patients received 5-HT3 antiemetics, and
significantly fewer (43.3%) reported one or more episodes of
posttreatment vomiting compared to the earlier group of patients
(55.0%).
- Identical numbers
of both groups (79.3%) reported at least one episode of posttreatment
nausea. However, a significant increase in the average duration
of both posttreatment nausea (from 28.1 hours to 37.2 hours)
and posttreatment vomiting (from 10.9 hours to 16.5 hours) occurred.
| Table
3: Patient Report of NV Before and After the Introduction
of 5-HT3 Antiemetics to Clinical Oncology Settings
|
|---|
|
Before 9/87-1/91
| After
9/93-2/95
| No.
of cases
| P1
|
|---|
Anticipatory
Nausea
| | | | |
|---|
Frequency2
| 31.0%
| 32.0%
| 600 | .73 |
Duration3
| 24.6(33.3)
| 20.9
(27.8) | 169 | .44 |
| Severity4
| 2.1
(0.8) | 2.0
(0.9) | 188 | .86 |
| Anticipatory
Emesis
| | | | |
|---|
Frequency2
| 7.7% | 6.3% | 600 | .52 |
Duration3
| 20.2(28.1) | 23.6(26.4) | 35 | .71 |
| Severity4
| 2.5(1.1) | 2.5(0.9) | 42 | .92 |
| Post
Rx Nausea
| | | | |
|---|
Frequency2
| 79.3% | 79.3% | 600 | 1.00 |
Duration3
| 28.1(28.3) | 37.2(29.6) | 474 | .001*** |
| Severity4
| 2.7(0.9) | 2.7(1.0) | 475 | .80 |
| Post
Rx Emesis
| | | | |
|---|
Frequency2
| 55.0% | 43.3% | 600 | .004** |
Duration3
| 10.9(18.1) | 16.5(22.2) | 293 | .02* |
| Severity4
| 3.0(0.9) | 3.0(1.0) | 295 | .85 |
|
Note: N = 300 for each group; standard deviations
in ( ); 1t test for independent samples;
2 at least one occurrence within the four
treatments; 3 average duration in hours
per incident reported by patients; 4average
severity per incident reported by patients measured
on a 6 point scale from 1 = mild to 6 = intolerable.
|
|
|