COMPARISON OF ONDANSETRON WITH METOCLOPRAMIDE IN THE CONTROL OF EMESIS INDUCED BY MODERATELY EMETOGENIC CHEMOTHERAPY USED FOR LYMPHOMA AND LEUKEMIA PATIENTS

Ondansetron was compared with conventional-dose metoclopramide in a ra ndomised trial for emesis control in 56 patients with lymphoma and leu kaemia receiving commonly used chemotherapeutic regimens that are mode rately emetogenic. Emetogenic chemotherapeutic agents were administere d on day 1 to lymphoma patients and on days 1 to 5 to leukaemia patien ts. Ondansetron was superior to metoclopramide in the complete control of acute emesis (75 vs 43%, p = 0.03). Control of delayed emesis in l ymphoma patients was marginally better with ondansetron on days 2 (89 vs 64%, p = 0.140) and 3 (94 vs 68%, p = 0.054). Continuous control of emesis for leukaemia patients on daily chemotherapy was better with o ndansetron on days 3 (80 vs 17%, p = 0.035) and 4 (90 vs 33%, p 0.036) . Furthermore, significantly more patients on ondansetron enjoyed norm al food intake on day 1 (71 vs 14%, p = 0.000). Both antiemetic regime ns were well tolerated. No extrapyramidal reactions were observed.