ANTIEMETIC EFFICACY OF ONDANSETRON - RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, CROSSOVER STUDY WITH HIGH-DOXE DEXAMETHASONE OR DEXAMETHASONE AND METOCLOPRAMIDE

A double-blind, randomized, crossover study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ondansetron in chemotherapy-naive cancer pa tients. In 13 patients who received cisplatin-containing chemotherapy complete or a major antinausea and a successful antivomiting (0-2 epis odes) protection was attained in 92% and 77%, respectively with ondans etron as compared with 46% and 31%, respectively with high-dose dexame thasone (p = 0.047, p = 0.05). Maintaining patients on oral ondansetro n proved effective in controlling delayed emesis and was significantly superior to high-dose dexamethasone. For those who received non-cispl atin-containing chemotherapy of high emetogenic potential (9 patients) , a trend was observed in favor of ondansetron, albeit, it was not sta tistically significant compared with a combination of dexamethasone an d metoclopramide. We conclude that ondansetron is an effective and tol erable drug for the management of acute and delayed cisplatin-induced emesis, the ease of its administration is also appealing for an outpat ient use.