Hypnosis in the treatment of anticipatory nausea and vomiting in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy

Aims and Background: In addition to nausea and vomiting following chemother apy treatment, cancer patients can experience these side effects prior to a treatment session, the so-called anticipatory nausea and vomiting. As vari ous psychological and neurophysiological aspects have been claimed to be im plied in its etiopathogenesis, the present paper aims to shortly review the etiological, epidemiological and therapeutical assumptions on the topic, i n particular the psychological-behavioral therapies. Patients and Methods: The present study was carried out on 16 consecutive adult cancer patients a ffected by chemotherapy-induced anticipatory nausea and vomiting who had re ceived at least four treatment cycles. All of them were submitted to induct ion of relaxation followed by hypnosis. Results: In all subjects anticipato ry nausea and vomiting disappeared, and major responses to chemotherapy-ind uced emesis control were recorded in almost all patients. Conclusions: The experience highlights the potential value of hypnosis in the management of anticipatory nausea and vomiting; furthermore, the susceptibility to antici patory nausea and vomiting is discussed under the psychoanalytic point of v iew. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.