Improving the care of patients with regard to chemotherapy-induced nausea and emesis: the effect of feedback to clinicians on adherence to antiemetic prescribing guidelines

The relationship of cancer symptom clusters to depressive affect in the initial phase of palliative radiation

Research on comorbidity across cancer symptoms, including pain, fatigue, and depression, could suggest if crossover effects from symptom-specific interventions are plausible. Secondary analyses were conducted on a survey of 268 cancer patients with recurrent disease from a northeastern U.S. city who were initiating palliative radiation for bone pain. Moderator regression analyses predicted variation in depressive affect that could be attributed to symptom clusters. Patients self-reported difficulty controlling each physical symptom over the past month on a Likert scale and depressive symptoms on a validated depression measure (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression [CES-D]) over the past week on a four-category scale. An index of depressive affect was based on items of negative and positive affect from the CES-D. In predicting depressive affect, synergistic interactions of pain with fever, fatigue, and weight loss suggest separate pathways involving pain. A similar interaction with fever occurs when nausea was tested in place of pain. Further, the interaction between pain and fatigue is similar in form to the interaction between difficulty breathing and fatigue (when sleep is not a problem). Follow-up to the latter interaction reveals: 1) additional moderation by hypertension and palliative radiation to the hip/pelvis; and 2) a similar cluster not involving hypertension when appetite problems and weight loss were tested in place of fatigue. The significance and form of these interactions are remarkably consistent. Similar sickness mechanisms could be generating: 1) pain and nausea during fever; 2) pain and fatigue during weight loss; and 3) pain and breathing difficulty when fatigue is pronounced. Crossover effects from symptom-specific interventions appear promising.

Incidence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and emesis after modern antiemetics

BACKGROUND

The authors determined the incidence of acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and emesis (vomiting) (CINV) among patients receiving highly (HEC) or moderately (MEC) emetogenic chemotherapy. They also assessed whether physicians and nurses accurately recognized the incidence of acute and delayed CINV in their own practices.

METHODS

A prospective, observational study of adult patients receiving HEC or MEC for the first time was performed. Before patient enrollment, medical oncologists and oncology nurses estimated the incidence of acute (Day 1) and delayed (Days 2-5) CINV after first administration of HEC and MEC in their own practices. Eligible patients from their practices then completed a 6-day diary including emetic episodes, nausea assessment, and antiemetic medication use. Observed incidence rates of acute and delayed CINV were compared with physician/nurse predictions.

RESULTS

Twenty-four physicians and nurses and 298 eligible patients (67 receiving HEC and 231 receiving MEC) were recruited from 14 oncology practices in 6 countries. Greater than 35% of patients overall experienced acute nausea, whereas 13% experienced acute emesis. Delayed nausea and emesis were observed in 60% and 50% of HEC patients, respectively, and in 52% and 28% of MEC patients, respectively. Delayed symptoms appeared without acute symptoms after HEC (emesis, 38%; nausea, 33%) and MEC (emesis, 19%; nausea, 21%). Physicians and nurses accurately predicted the incidence of acute CINV but underestimated the incidence of delayed nausea and emesis after HEC by 21 and 28 percentage points, respectively, and delayed nausea after MEC by 28 percentage points. Greater than 75% of physicians and nurses underestimated the incidence of delayed CINV after both HEC and MEC.

CONCLUSIONS

Physicians and nurses markedly underestimated the incidence of delayed nausea and emesis after both HEC and MEC. Delayed nausea and emesis, which may appear even in the absence of acute nausea and emesis, remain important targets for improved therapeutic intervention.

The impact of delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on patients, health resource utilization and costs in German cancer centers

BACKGROUND

Delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) remains a major adverse effect of cancer chemotherapy. We assessed, under current practice patterns, the occurrence and impact on healthcare resource utilization of CINV in patients receiving emetogenic chemotherapy. An additional aim of this study was to estimate costs imputable to CINV in the German healthcare environment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective, multi-center, cross-sectional cost-of-illness study was conducted in three hospitals and in three office-based facilities in Germany. Consecutive patients undergoing emetogenic chemotherapy (levels 4 or 5 according to Hesketh classification of emetogenicity) were enrolled. Data were obtained from preplanned chart reviews and from self-administered patient questionnaires. Analysis of direct costs was performed from the perspectives of third party payer (statutory sick fund), provider (hospital) and patients. Indirect costs were assessed on the basis of paid workdays lost.

RESULTS

During the 5-day observation period, 134 of 208 chemotherapy cycles observed (64.4%) were associated with at least one episode of nausea or vomiting. More patients experienced delayed than acute CINV (60.7% versus 32.8%), and more patients reported nausea than vomiting (62.5% versus 26.0%). A total of 68 patients (32.6%) utilized healthcare resources due to CINV. The most frequently used resources were rescue medications and outpatient hospital and office physician visits. Only one patient required hospitalization and only three patients lost workdays due to CINV. Average costs imputable to CINV per patient (with or without CINV) per treatment cycle incurred by third party payers and hospital providers were Euro 49 and Euro 48, respectively. Patient or treatment characteristics that were associated with high costs imputable to CINV were as follows: cisplatin-containing regimen; experience of emesis; and presence of delayed CINV.

CONCLUSIONS

A substantial proportion of patients continue to experience CINV. This entails not only clinical but also economic consequences, and highlights a continuing need for improved utilization of existing antiemetic agents and for new, more efficacious treatments. The greatest improvements in patient care and potential for cost offset may be realized by preventing delayed CINV.

Evidence-based guidelines for managing mucositis

OBJECTIVES

To discuss implementation of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for mucositis.

DATA SOURCE

Published articles, book chapters, web sources, clinical experience, unpublished manuscripts.

CONCLUSION

Nurses can implement evidence-based guidelines but must include an evaluation component to determine effect on clinical outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Nurses have an integral role implementing and evaluating evidence-based practice guidelines for managing mucositis. When evidence is lacking and guidelines have gaps, nurses can play important roles in research to overcome these gaps.

The importance of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the quality and development of supportive care in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries

Supportive care CPGs are intended to improve the quality of supportive care received by cancer patients. They hold potential benefits for health-care professionals, health-care organizations and patients. In order to provide an effective influence of CPGs on supportive care development in CEE countries their validity and successful implementation in clinical practice must be ensured. This would involve several important steps: (1) achievement of a consensus across Europe about what constitutes supportive care in cancer; (2) identification of supportive care priorities in CEE countries to be covered by the guidelines; and (3) searching existing CPGs relevant to previously identified priorities. Valid international CPGs could then be translated and adapted to local resources and circumstances in CEE countries and used to prepare national supportive care CPGs which could assist in the development of national supportive care standards. Skills, expertise and additional investment are required for local adaptation, dissemination and implementation of international supportive care CPGs.