Aprepitant as prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in anthracyclines and cyclophosphamide-based regimen for adjuvant breast cancer

Med Oncol. 2015 Mar;32(3):80. doi: 10.1007/s12032-015-0535-9. Epub 2015 Feb 20.

Abstract

The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a three-drug antiemetic prophylaxis in a single-center series treated with anthracyclines and cyclophosphamide-based regimen for BC. We collected data from 92 consecutive patients treated with routine antiemetic prophylaxis consisted of aprepitant (oral 125 mg, on day 1; oral 80 mg, on days 2 and 3), a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist (palonosetron iv 0.25 mg, on day 1), and dexamethasone (iv 12 mg, on day 1). Acute and delayed phases were defined as the first 24 h and days 2-5 after treatment, respectively. Therapy outcomes were defined as complete response (CR), in case of no vomiting, no rescue treatment; complete protection (CP), in case of no vomiting, no rescue treatment, no significant nausea; and total control (TC), in case of no vomiting, no rescue treatment, no nausea. Overall, 89.1 and 81.5% of patients showed CR in acute and delayed phase, respectively; 67.4 and 62% showed CP in acute and delayed phase, respectively; and 52.2 and 48.9% of patients showed TC in acute and delayed phase, respectively. 4.3% complained an episode of emesis during the first 24 h from treatment, while in delayed phase, only 2.2% of patients had vomiting. Our analysis confirmed that a three-drug prophylaxis is safe, effective, and consequently highly recommended in patients who undergo anthracyclines and cyclophosphamide-based regimens, though still not classified as highly emetogenic chemotherapy by all the international guidelines.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anthracyclines / administration & dosage
  • Anthracyclines / adverse effects
  • Antiemetics / adverse effects
  • Antiemetics / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / adverse effects*
  • Aprepitant
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / adverse effects
  • Cyclophosphamide / administration & dosage
  • Cyclophosphamide / adverse effects
  • Dexamethasone / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Isoquinolines / therapeutic use
  • Middle Aged
  • Morpholines / adverse effects
  • Morpholines / therapeutic use*
  • Nausea / chemically induced
  • Nausea / prevention & control*
  • Palonosetron
  • Quinuclidines / therapeutic use
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vomiting / chemically induced
  • Vomiting / prevention & control*

Substances

  • Anthracyclines
  • Antiemetics
  • Isoquinolines
  • Morpholines
  • Quinuclidines
  • Aprepitant
  • Palonosetron
  • Dexamethasone
  • Cyclophosphamide