MASCC 2016 | Nausea and vomiting risk factors

Alex Molassiotis, RN, MSc, PhD of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, discusses nausea and vomiting risk factors. Clinicians need to start thinking beyond chemotherapy, as nausea is a more multifactorial side effect. Risk factors play a big role as they make a difference for each individual patient, even if they receive the same diagnosis and chemotherapy treatment. Risk factors include: being female, a younger patient, having anxiety about treatment and having the expectation of vomiting. Recent updates on MASCC guidelines have been published including the recommendation of certain new drugs to be added to the older combinations as they contribute an improved difference. Dr. Molassiotis highlights two drugs, the NK1 receptor antagonist and the antipsychotic drug used for over 40 years, which reduces nausea. Recorded at the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) and International Society of Ocular Oncology (ISOO) 2016 Annual Meeting on Supportive Care in Cancer held in Adelaide, Australia.