GRANISETRON AND ONDANSETRON FOR CHEMOTHERAPY-RELATED NAUSEA AND VOMITING

The efficacy of granisetron and ondansetron, two serotonin antagonists , as antiemetic agents was studied and compared in the first 24 h foll ow, by chemotherapy administration. Sixty cancer patients took part in this randomized prospective study. The patients were categorized acco rding to the chemotherapy which was administered. Patients in group A received combinations including the highly emetogenic agents, cisplati num or adriamycin, patients in group B received regimens which include d neither of these agents. Both serotonin antagonists were highly effe ctive, only 9 (16%) out of 58 patients suffered from vomiting, 7 (25%) of the patients on ondansetron and 2 (7%) on, granisetron. Splitting the patients into both groups supported the above results. In group A (adriamycin-cisplatinum) only 7 patients (22%) reported vomiting, 5 (3 3%) on ondansetron vs 2 (12%) on granisetron. In group B, only 2 patie nts (8%) suffered from vomiting, both patients (15%) on ondansetron wh ile no vomiting was seen in the granisetron patients. Similar results were obtained in preventing nausea in these patients. We conclude that both serotonin antagonists are effective in preventing nausea and vom iting in patients receiving chemotherapy. In all groups tested this st udy granisetron appeared to be superior, although, this difference fai led to reach statistical significance due to the small number of patie nts analyzed. However, there was no difference in cost effectiveness b etween the regimens.