Adherence to ESMO clinical recommendations for prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

We assessed adherence to the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO)/Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer recommendations for prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) at our institution.

The charts of 299 patients starting a new chemotherapy between November 2008 and April 2009 were reviewed. Baseline characteristics and prophylaxis of CINV during the first cycle were recorded, and adherence to ESMO recommendations was determined. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to test for predictors of adherence.

Prophylaxis of acute CINV was not adherent in 39% of the patients: 39 of 54 patients with low emetogenic chemotherapy had a serotonin antagonist, and 24 of 100 with moderately emetogenic therapy had a neurokinin antagonist. Nevertheless, 71% of the patients treated with highly emetogenic therapy received the guideline-specified prescription. Prophylaxis of delayed CINV was not adherent in 89% of the patients: 101 of 125 patients with highly or moderately emetogenic single-day chemotherapy received a serotonin antagonist. Male gender (odds ratio (OR) 0.484, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.291–0.806; P = 0.005) and hematologic neoplasia (OR 2.151, 95% CI 1.19–3.887; P = 0.011) were independent predictors of non-adherence. Age (OR 0.981, 95% CI 0.964–0.998; P = 0.029) and inpatient treatment (OR 0.457, 95% CI 0.25–0.836; P = 0.011) indicated a lower risk of non-adherence.

Contrary to older studies reporting frequent omissions of corticosteroids, the current study demonstrated significant overuse of serotonin antagonists for prophylaxis of delayed CINV.