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Palliative care

Aprepitant and control of emesis induced by 5-day chemotherapy

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology volume 9, pages 614–616 (2012)Cite this article

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Addition of aprepitant, an NK-1 receptor antagonist, to dexamethasone and a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist contributes substantially to emetic control in patients receiving 5-day cisplatin-containing chemotherapy, a new trial shows. Some needs in antiemetic therapy remain unmet, including control of emesis with multiple-day chemotherapy and control of nausea.

Key Points

  • Oral aprepitant added to dexamethasone and a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist regimen improves 5-day complete emetic control in patients with germ-cell tumours receiving cisplatin-containing chemotherapy

  • Aprepitant-containing three-drug combination therapy has no additional side effects compared with the two-drug (dexamethasone and a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist) regimen

  • More research on drug scheduling and dosing of the aprepitant-containing three-drug combination regimen might lead to enhanced emetic control

  • The new trial highlights several issues in antiemetic therapy that need further research, such as the requirement for improved control of nausea in many emetic chemotherapy settings

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, 10467, NY, USA

    Richard J. Gralla

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  1. Richard J. Gralla
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The author declares that he has served as a consultant for Helsinn and Merck and has received honoraria from Eisai, Helsinn and Merck.

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Gralla, R. Aprepitant and control of emesis induced by 5-day chemotherapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 9, 614–616 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2012.183

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