EFFICACY OF 2 ORAL DOSE REGIMENS OF GRANISETRON

Background: Most chemotherapic treatments are carried out on an outpat ient basis. In such patients the prevention and control of emesis is i mportant. Granisetron is a specific and extremely potent 5-HT3 antagon ist available as an oral formulation. We have carried out an open rand omized crossover study in patients receiving moderately emetogenic che motherapy. Materials and Methods: 30 patients were randomized to recei ve one of the two oral dose regimens of GRAN. Treatment A = 1 mg of GR AN initially and 12 hours after the first; treatment B = a single 2 mg dose of GRAN. Results. An overall good response for vomiting was reac hed in 70% and 86.7% respectively of patients receiving treatments A a nd B (p = 0.0625). Good response to nausea was reached in 73.3% of the patients with treatment A and in 76.7% with treatment B (p = 1). 68.3 % of patients did not record chemoinduced emesis. Conclusion: We belie ve that oral GRAN alone is an active and safe drug for the prevention of acute chemoinduced emesis.