Efficacy of tropisetron in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and taxanes

Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2008 Mar;17(2):167-73. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2354.2007.00829.x.

Abstract

Even though significant progress has been made, chemotherapy-induced emesis remains a challenging problem. Few studies focus on emesis in patients treated with carboplatin and the observation period is limited to the initial 24 h following chemotherapy. Thus, we investigated if tropisetron (T) monotherapy can adequately prevent acute and delayed emesis in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving a moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) (carboplatin-containing) regimen. Furthermore, we explored the merits of adding dexamethasone (D) or alprazolam (A) to T, especially in the setting of a pre-existing high level of stress. We studied 60 patients with advanced NSCLC receiving carboplatin and taxanes in three consecutive cycles. During the first cycle, patients received 5 mg of T intravenously before chemotherapy and the same dose per os on each of the following 3 days. In the second cycle, T was co-administered with 8 mg of D once a day, while, during the third cycle, T was combined with per os A 0.25 mg every 12 h and continued over the following 3 days. Finally, we evaluated the impact of stress on the anti-emetic response achieved with the previously described regimens. The combination of T + A was superior to T monotherapy and the combination of T + D, regarding the prevention of acute and delayed emesis. Both T + A and T + D combinations led to appetite improvement, while patients receiving T + A experienced sedation more frequently. Interestingly, subgroup analysis revealed that patients without underlying stress obtained no further benefit by the addition of A or D, while both T + A and T + D combinations led to a better anti-emetic response in patients with stress. In conclusion, T monotherapy provides a satisfactory result in controlling nausea and emesis caused by a MEC regimen in patients without stress. However, the addition of D and, mainly, A improves its anti-emetic effect in patients with obvious stress.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alprazolam / therapeutic use
  • Antiemetics / therapeutic use*
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / administration & dosage
  • Carboplatin / administration & dosage
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy*
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Dexamethasone / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Indoles / therapeutic use*
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Taxoids / administration & dosage
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tropisetron
  • Vomiting / prevention & control

Substances

  • Antiemetics
  • Indoles
  • Taxoids
  • Tropisetron
  • Dexamethasone
  • Carboplatin
  • Alprazolam