Manifest Anxiety Scale for evaluation of effects of granisetron in chemotherapy with CDDP and 5FU for head and neck cancer

The level of anxiety was examined before treatment by means of the Manifest Anxiety Scale (MAS) in 41 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the hea d and neck. They received 5 days of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5FU). Granisetron (KYT) was administered daily from day I to day 5. Nausea, vomiting, appetite, and well-being were assess ed during and after chemotherapy. The relation between the effects of KYT a nd anxiety was studied. Seventeen patients were proven to have anxiety and were compared with the other 24 patients. In patients with anxiety, the per centage wellbeing was significantly lower on days 1 and 2 (P=0.008, 0.001). The rate of freedom from nausea was significantly lower from day 4 to day 9 for anxiety patients (P=0.010 similar to0.050). The percentage of anxiety patients without loss of appetite was significantly lower from day 6 to 9 (p = 0.001 similar to 0.020). The rate of freedom from vomiting was signifi cantly lower on days 4, 5 and 7 for anxiety patients (P = 0.024, 0.024, 0.0 14). The results indicate that the effect of KYT was significantly lower fr om day 3 to day 7 for anxiety patients (P = 0.008 similar to 0.045). The an xiety group had significantly poorer well-being at the beginning of chemoth erapy, and were not responsive to KYT in the delayed phase. Our results pro ve that anxiety patients show delayed emesis, and the administration of KYT is considered insufficient. It may be important to co-administer a tranqui lizer to any patient who exhibit anxiety as defined by the MAS, in order to reduce delayed emesis.