5-HT3 antiemetic therapy for patients with breast cancer

Antiemetic treatment should be considered for breast cancer patients receiv ing moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. Although the extent of chemotherapy -induced emesis is largely dependent on the emetogenic potential of the spe cific agents employed, patient characteristics such as age and sex also con tribute. Recent clinical studies show that treatment with the currently ava ilable 5-HT3 antagonists effectively reduces the incidence of chemotherapy- induced nausea and vomiting and improves quality of life in a substantial n umber of these patients. A Medline search from 1994 through February 1998 identified clinical trials that included previously untreated breast cancer patients using antiemetic therapy such as granisetron, ondansetron, dolasetron, and metoclopramide. The studies reviewed here indicate that the antiemetic efficacy of 5-HT3 an tagonists is equivalent in previously untreated patients receiving moderate ly emetogenic chemotherapy for breast cancer, depending on the doses and sc hedules utilized. In particular, two comparative studies of granisetron and ondansetron with specific data for breast cancer patients showed that both agents eliminate nausea in approximately 50%, and vomiting in 60-70% of th ese patients, with the higher values observed when steroids were added to t he 5-HT3 receptor antagonist regimen. Although the chemotherapy regimens employed for breast cancer are considere d only moderately emetogenic, these regimens account for 60-90% of patients experiencing nausea and vomiting. The most recent clinical studies demonst rate that 5-HT3 antagonists can significantly reduce the incidence of nause a in breast cancer patients receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy an d should be employed in this setting.