Prognostic role of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in recurrent ovarian cancer patients: results of an individual participant data meta-analysis in 1213

Retrospective analysis of real-world prescribing data for managing cisplatin-based chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in China

BACKGROUND

The current utilization of neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists (NK1RAs) and the impact of updated guidelines on prescription patterns of antiemetic drugs among Chinese patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) remain undetermined. This study aims to analyze the present situation of Chinese cancer patients using antiemetic drugs and assess the appropriateness of antiemetic regimens.

METHODS

Prescription data were collected between January 2015 and December 2020 from cancer patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy at 76 hospitals in six major cities in China. Trends in the use of antiemetic drugs, prescribing patterns and adherence to antiemetic guidelines were assessed.

RESULTS

Among the 108,611 patients included in this study, 6 classes and 17 antiemetic drugs were identified as monotherapy or combination therapy in 93,872 patients (86.4%), whereas 14,739 patients (13.6%) were administered no antiemetic treatment. 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 receptor antagonists (5-HT3RAs) and glucocorticoids were the two most frequently used classes of antiemetics, followed by metoclopramide. NK1RAs were underused across the six cities, only 9332 (8.6%) and 1655 (1.5%) cisplatin-based treatments were prescribed aprepitant and fosaprepitant, respectively. Prescriptions of olanzapine and lorazepam were very low throughout the study period. In prescribing patterns of antiemetic drugs, dual combination regimens were the most common (40.0%), followed by triple combination therapy and monotherapy (25.8% and 15.1%, respectively). Overall, the adherence to antiemetic guidelines for patients undergoing cisplatin-based regimens was only 8.1% due to inadequate prescription of antiemetic drugs. Finally, our study also revealed that 5-HT3RAs and glucocorticoids were overprescribed in 8.8% and 1.6% of patients, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study reveals suboptimal utilization of recommended antiemetic drugs for managing cisplatin-based HEC-induced nausea and vomiting in China. Improving the management of CINV is crucial, and these findings provide valuable insights into optimizing antiemetic drug practices.

A multicenter phase II trial of the triplet antiemetic therapy with palonosetron, aprepitant, and olanzapine for a cisplatin-containing regimen. - PATROL-I

Dexamethasone is one of the key antiemetic agents and is widely used even now. However, dexamethasone has been associated with several adverse reactions even after short-term administration. Therefore, developing a steroid-free antiemetic regimen is an important issue to consider. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of palonosetron, aprepitant, and olanzapine in a multi-institutional phase II study. Chemotherapy-naive patients scheduled to receive cisplatin were enrolled and evaluated for the occurrence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting during 120 h after chemotherapy. The primary endpoint of the study was total control (TC) in the overall phase. The key secondary endpoint was complete response (CR), which was assessed in the acute, delayed, and overall phase, respectively. Adverse events were evaluated according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Eighty-five patients were enrolled from 8 centers in Japan, of which 83 were evaluable for analyses. The percentage of patients who achieved TC during the overall phase was 31.3%. CR was achieved in 61.4%, 84.3%, and 65.1% of patients during the overall, acute, and delayed phases, respectively. The most frequently reported adverse event was anorexia. The primary endpoint was below the threshold and we could not find benefit in the dexamethasone-free regimen, but CR during the overall phase was similar to that of the conventional three-drug regimen. This antiemetic regimen without dexamethasone might be an option for patients for whom corticosteroids should not be an active application.

Olanzapine within steroid-sparing antiemetic regimen to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with acute leukemia receiving multi-day intensive chemotherapy

INTRODUCTION

Olanzapine use for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in hematological malignancies, for multi-day chemotherapy, and with a steroid-sparing antiemetic strategy is poorly understood. This study investigated if olanzapine is associated with improved prevention of CINV when added to a steroid-sparing antiemetic regimen in patients with acute leukemia receiving intensive, moderately emetogenic, multi-day chemotherapy.

METHODS

This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study in patients with acute leukemia. Patients who received olanzapine for CINV prevention were compared to those who did not. All patients received a 5-HT3 antagonist. Adult patients receiving moderately emetogenic, multi-day, intensive chemotherapy for acute leukemia were included. Patients were excluded if they received steroids greater than physiological doses during the study period. The primary endpoint was the complete response of CINV (no emesis or rescue antiemetic usage).

RESULTS

This study included 58 patients, 12 patients received olanzapine and 46 patients were in the control group. Baseline demographics were similar. In the study population, 89.7% had acute myeloid leukemia, median age was 54 (interquartile range 42-63) years, 34.5% were female, 27.6% had prior CINV. Complete response of CINV was similar between groups, 4 (33.3%) and 15 (32.6%) patients in the olanzapine and control groups, respectively. Safety events were similar between groups.

CONCLUSION

Patients with acute leukemia receiving multi-day intensive chemotherapy are at high risk for CINV. The limited data in this study suggests that olanzapine use within a steroid-sparing antiemetic regimen was well tolerated and associated with similar incidence and severity of CINV compared to the control group.

Application of comprehensive unit-based safety program model to improve chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with ovarian cancer: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

To explore the effect of intervention programs constructed under the guidance of the comprehensive unit-based safety program (CUSP) model on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients with ovarian cancer.

METHOD

According to the time of admission, 90 ovarian cancer chemotherapy patients in the first affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from June 2019 to September 2020 were divided into an intervention group and a control group with 45 cases each. Both groups of patients received routine intervention, and the intervention group implemented the CUSP program on this basis. The intervention lasted 8 months. Before and after the intervention, the patients in the ward were used the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Antiemesis Tool, the Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for the effect evaluation.

RESULTS

After the intervention, the degree of nausea and vomiting frequency in the intervention group were significantly lower than that in the control group, especially the degree of nausea in the delayed phase (P < 0.05). The score of the functional living index-emesis in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05), and the anxiety and depression in the intervention group were significantly relieved compared to the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The intervention program guided by the CUSP model can significantly alleviate patients' nausea and vomiting, improve the quality of life, and relieve anxiety and depression. The CUSP model is suitable for clinical practice and has guiding significance for clinical work.

Fosnetupitant for the Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Short Review and Clinical Perspective

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is often ranked by patients as one of the most distressing and feared consequences of chemotherapy. The novel neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor antagonist fosnetupitant, a phosphorylated prodrug formulation of netupitant, was approved in Japan in 2022. Fosnetupitant is one of the standard treatments for the prevention of CINV in patients who are receiving highly (any treatment where CINV occurs in more than 90% of patients) or moderately (where CINV occurs in 30-90% of patients) emetogenic chemotherapies. The aim of this commentary is to describe the mechanism of action, tolerability, and antiemetic efficacy of single-agent fosnetupitant in the prevention of CINV, and to discuss its clinical application, in order to aid optimal use.

SEOM clinical guideline emesis (2021)

Among the side effects of anticancer treatment, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is one of the most feared given its high prevalence, affecting up to 40% of patients. It can impair patient’s quality of life and provoke low adherence to cancer treatment or chemotherapy dose reductions that can comprise treatment efficacy. Suffering CINV depends on factors related to the intrinsic emetogenicity of antineoplastic drugs and on patient characteristics. CINV can appear at different times regarding the administration of antitumor treatment and the variability of risk according to the different antitumor regimens has, as a consequence, the need for a different and adapted antiemetic treatment prophylaxis to achieve the desired objective of complete protection of the patient in the acute phase, in the late phase and in the global phase of emesis. As a basis for the recommendations, the level of emetogenicity of anticancer treatment is considered and they are classified as high, moderate, low and minimal emetogenicity and these recommendations are based on the use of antiemetic drugs with a high therapeutic index: anti 5-HT, anti-NK and steroids. Despite having highly effective treatments, clinical reality shows that they are not applied enough, so evidence-based recommendations are needed to show the best options and help in decision-making. To cover all the antiemetic prophylaxis options, we have also included recommendations for oral treatments, multiday regimens and radiation-induced emesis prevention.

Sarcopenia: Clinical implications in ovarian cancer, diagnosis, etiology, and management

Sarcopenia, loss of skeletal muscle and function, is a common condition among the elderly and is known to cause adverse health outcomes and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. This progressive and generalized disorder imposes a considerable socioeconomic burden. Sarcopenia is observed commonly in cancer patients. As Asia is one of the fastest aging regions in the world, it is clear that incidences of both sarcopenia and ovarian cancer will increase together in Asian countries. Ovarian cancer patients are vulnerable to develop sarcopenia during the treatment course and progress of disease, and a considerable number of patients with ovarian cancer seems to have physical inactivity and sarcopenia already at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, management of sarcopenia should be conducted together in parallel with ovarian cancer treatment and surveillance. Thus, in this article, we will review the clinical importance of sarcopenia in the aspect of ovarian cancer. Definition of sarcopenia, diagnosis, etiology, and intervention will be also introduced.

Prospective patient-reported symptom profiles associated with pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia relapse

PURPOSE

Despite improvements in frontline pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment, relapse remains a concern. Research in adult cancer patients suggests that patient-reported symptoms may predict survival, but the relationship between symptoms and relapse for pediatric ALL has received little attention.

METHODS

Pediatric patients with ALL (age 2-18 years) and/or their primary caregivers completed symptom surveys at the end of induction, start of delayed intensification (DI), start of maintenance cycle 1 (MC1), and start of maintenance cycle 2 (MC2). Symptom clusters for co-occurring fatigue, pain, sleep disruptions, and nausea were defined using latent profile analysis. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between symptom clusters, individual symptoms, and subsequent relapse were calculated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for clinical and demographic factors.

RESULTS

Eligible patients (n = 208) were followed an average of 2.6 years for the incidence of relapse (n = 22). Associations between relapse and symptoms were identified for fatigue at DI (HR = 1.83, 95%CI 1.23-2.73) and MC1 (HR = 2.14, 95%CI 1.62-2.84), pain at DI (HR = 1.80, 95%CI 1.19-2.72), nausea at the end of induction (HR = 1.19, 95%CI 1.01-1.39), and sleep disturbances at the end of induction (HR = 2.00, 95%CI 1.11-3.62), DI (HR = 1.73, 95%CI 1.01-2.96), and MC1 (HR = 2.19, 95%CI 1.10-4.35). Symptom clusters comprised of individuals with a higher average symptom burden at DI were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with relapse.

CONCLUSION

Patient-reported symptoms may provide prognostic information to aid in the identification of pediatric ALL patients at increased risk of relapse.

Current Resources for Evidence-Based Practice, July 2020

An extensive review of new resources to support the provision of evidence-based care for women and infants. The current column includes a discussion of whether it is ethical not to offer doula care to all women, and commentaries on reviews focused on folic acid and autism spectrum disorder, and timing of influenza vaccination during pregnancy.

Sonophoresis Enhanced Transdermal Delivery of Cisplatin in the Xenografted Tumor Model of Cervical Cancer

Background

Transdermal drug delivery system has been researched for a long time because of its advantage in decreasing side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal disturbance. Sonophoresis has been shown to be very effective in promoting the transdermal delivery of drugs. This study is on purpose to research the feasibility of sonophoresis promoting cisplatin in the treatment of cervical cancer and the optimum drug delivery mode.

Methods

Thirty-two female nude-mice model of cervical cancer were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=8 in each group): control group without any intervention, low, medium and high concentration groups were treated with the corresponding cisplatin concentrations of 0.2mg/mL, 0.4mg/mL and 0.8mg/mL, respectively, with concurrent sonophoresis applied on the skin of local tumor, 1 mL at a time, once a day for a total of 5 days. Therapeutic pulsed ultrasound (TPU) was 1.0 MHz, 2.0 W/cm² and 60-min duration. Weight of mice and tumor diameters were measured every day during the intervention. The concentration of cisplatin in tumors was detected by HPLC. Meanwhile, tumor, skin, liver and kidney gross structures and ultrastructure were observed in order to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of experimental conditions. In addition, apoptosis and proliferation-related factors (MPO, Caspase-3, PCNA) were detected by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and TUNEL assay.

Results

The weight of nude mice in each group showed an increasing trend, except for a decrease of weight in the 0.8 mg/mL group. No obvious tumor inhibition effect was observed. Cisplatin was detected in the 0.4 mg/mL group and 0.8 mg/mL group, with relative concentrations of 0.081±0.033 mg/mL and 0.111±0.021 mg/mL, respectively. Both skin and kidney inflammation were observed in the 0.8 mg/mL group. The expression of MPO, caspase-3 and TUNEL was concentration dependent, with the highest expression in the 0.8 mg/mL group, followed by the 0.4 mg/mL group, with no significant differences between the control and the 0.2 mg/mL group. PCNA was highly expressed in both the control and 0.2 mg/mL groups but decreased in the 0.4 mg/mL and 0.8 mg/mL groups.

Conclusion

Sonophoresis enhanced transdermal delivery of cisplatin in a xenograft tumor model of cervical cancer. Considering the occurrence of skin inflammation and renal injury caused by cisplatin, the recommended concentration to be administered is 0.4mg/mL.