A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF INTRAVENOUS GRANISETRON VERSUS INTRAVENOUS ANDORAL ONDANSETRON IN THE PREVENTION OF NAUSEA AND VOMITING ASSOCIATED WITH MODERATELY EMETOGENIC CHEMOTHERAPY

We conducted a prospective, randomized, open, single-center, parallel group study comparing the anti-emetic efficacy and toxicity of granise tron with that of ondansetron in patients receiving moderately emetoge nic chemotherapy. From December 1994 to May 1995, patients who were to receive moderately emetogenic chemotherapy for the first time or who had not received chemotherapy (80 to 100 mg/m(2) of cisplatin or 40 mg /m(2) of doxorubicin) within 4 weeks previously were enrolled in this study. The following anti-emetic regimens were used: 3 mg of granisetr on were given intravenously before chemotherapy for a single dose; 8 m g of ondansetron were given intravenously before chemotherapy and then every 8 hours for a total of 3 doses, plus 8 mg of an oral maintenanc e dose every 12 hours for 5 consecutive days. We evaluated 97 patients (48 received granisetron and 49 received ondansetron). In the first 2 4 hours after chemotherapy, complete and major responses were achieved in 76.6% of the patients receiving granisetron and in 72.9% of patien ts receiving ondansetron (p = 0.9033). Additionally, there was no diff erence in the control of delayed nausea and vomiting between the two g roups (51.1% versus 54.2%, p = 0.9200), and there were no significant adverse effects or toxicities. We have concluded that a single dose of granisetron is as effective in prophylaxis of emesis induced by moder ately emetogenic chemotherapy as a triple dose of ondansetron plus ora l maintenance.