Nausea and vomiting are common and extremely bothersome side effects of chemotherapy which may affect the ability of many patients to tolerate cancer treatment.

One dose of a drug called palonosetron is effective in preventing chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting, according to a study published online January 9, 2009 in The Lancet Oncology.

Japanese researchers studied 1143 cancer patients in order to compare the efficacy and safety of two anti-nausea drugs, palonosetron and granisteron, in preventing the nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy. Both of these drugs were given in combination with dexamethasone, a steroid. Using data from 1114 of these patients, the researchers found that palonosetron and granisteron were similarly effective in preventing nausea and vomiting in the first 24 hours after starting chemotherapy. However, after 24 hours, palonosetron was more effective. The safety of both drugs was similar.

An oral capsule of palonosetron was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2008, and an injection formulation of the drug has been available in the United States since 2003. The researchers concluded that the results of this study suggest that palonosetron should be used instead of granisteron for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, but its higher cost may be a consideration.

Source

Lancet Oncol. Published early online January 8, 2009.