Control of Nausea and Vomiting in Patients with Colorectal Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy with Moderate Emetic Risk

Background: Chemotherapy with moderate emetic risk (MEC), including irinotecan-based and oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy regimens, are predominantly used for colorectal cancer chemotherapy. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) remain unsatisfactorily controlled.

Patients and methods: The rates of prevalence of antiemetic medication and the control of CINV were investigated from medical records in patients with colorectal cancer who received the first cycle of irinotecan-based or oxaliplatin-based regimens. Risks for CINV were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results: A total of 179 patients received the first cycle of MEC regimens and the number of overall cycles was 2,176 during the study period from January 2013 to December 2015. Guideline-consistent antiemetic medication was performed in most cases. The rate of no-CINV was nearly 90% during the overall period. Female sex and age under 50 years were significant risks for CINV. Comparison considering only the group aged 50 years or more indicated that the control of CINV was significantly worse in irinotecan-based regimens than in the oxaliplatin-based regimens.

Conclusion: Female sex and age younger than 50 years were significant risks for CINV in patients receiving MEC for colorectal cancer. Moreover, the control of CINV was less sufficient for irinotecan-based than for oxaliplatin-based regimens.