EFFICACY OF ONDANSETRON TREATMENT WITH DIFFERENT TIMING SCHEDULES - ARANDOMIZED DOUBLE-BLIND-STUDY

The purpose of this study was to determine whether preloading administ ration of ondansetron given 12.5 h before cisplatin therapy, every 6 h , is better in controlling acute cisplatin-induced emesis than a stand ard dose every 8 h. All patients had previously received three cycles of CDDP-based chemotherapy in a dose of 100 mg/m(2). Ondansetron was g iven according to two schedules: in group A (40 patients) at a dose of 8 mg in 100 mi normal saline over 10 min by intravenous infusion befo re the infusion of CDDP continued with 1 tablet of 8 mg after 8 and 16 h; in group B (40 patients) it was administered in six intravenous do ses (every 6 h) starting 12.5 h before cisplatin administration. Durin g the following 3 days, patients from both groups continued with table ts of 8 mg orally, every 8 h in group A and every 6 h in group B. The only difference in terms of the antiemetic response noticed between th e two groups was in the number of patients that presented with nausea, which was increased in group A (32) in comparison to group B (25; p < 0.022). No difference was found in the number of vomiting episodes, r etches or control of emesis, during the 3-day evaluation period after cisplatin infusion, and in secondary side effects. In conclusion the t otal dose of 24 mg ondansetron during the acute phase of emesis is as effective as preloading and increasing the total dose to 32 mg.