In:
Chemotherapy, S. Karger AG, Vol. 49, No. 6 ( 2003), p. 316-323
Abstract:
〈 i 〉 Background: 〈 /i 〉 Serotonin receptor antagonists are recommended by the American Society of Clinical Oncology for the prevention of acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced emesis. However, the most effective agent in this class of antiemetic drugs for preventing emesis has not been clearly defined. We therefore performed a double-blind, crossover, randomized, controlled trial comparing the efficacy of granisetron and ramosetron, using patient preference as the primary endpoint. 〈 i 〉 Methods: 〈 /i 〉 Thirty patients receiving two courses of combined chemotherapy (including ≧60 mg/m 〈 sup 〉 2 〈 /sup 〉 cisplatin) for gastric or esophageal cancer were randomly assigned to the granisetron-ramosetron group (treatment phase 1: granisetron, 3 mg; treatment phase 2: ramosetron, 0.3 mg) or the ramosetron-granisetron group (treatment phase 1: ramosetron, 0.3 mg; treatment phase 2: granisetron, 3 mg). All patients received methylprednisolone sodium, 250 mg i.v., during each treatment phase. 〈 i 〉 Results: 〈 /i 〉 The efficacy of granisetron and ramosetron was similar in terms of the suppression of emesis and appetite status. However, the majority of patients (19/30, 63.3%) expressed a preference for granisetron, as compared with 9 patients (30.0%) who preferred ramosetron; 2 patients (6.7%) had no preference (χ 〈 sup 〉 2 〈 /sup 〉 test: p = 0.008; Fisher’s exact test: p = 0.015). 〈 i 〉 Conclusions: 〈 /i 〉 (1) A significant proportion of patients prefer granisetron over ramosetron for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced emesis. (2) Granisetron and ramosetron possess similar effectiveness for the suppression of emesis. (3) The variable of ‘patient preference’ should be accepted as a primary endpoint of antiemetic drug efficacy.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0009-3157
,
1421-9794
Language:
English
Publisher:
S. Karger AG
Publication Date:
2003
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1482111-4
SSG:
15,3
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