Helsinn publishes results from a secondary analysis of a phase III trial of oral or i.v. NEPA in patients with CINV in The Oncologist.

The objectives of this analysis were to assess the rate of complete response (CR, no nausea/vomiting or rescue medications), and to evaluate the association between the duration of CINV in the first chemotherapy cycle and the risk of CINV in subsequent cycles in patients receiving chemotherapy.

Using data from a previously reported phase III trial, the analysis classified patients into 3 groups based on their response during the first chemotherapy cycle: CR, short-term CINV (1-2 days), and extended CINV (3-5 days). The analysis indicated that patients who experienced CR in their first cycle had a 93% or higher CR rates in subsequent cycles. Comparing patients with short-term CINV and extended CINV in cycle 1, recurrent CINV occurred in 30.6% and 69.5% of subsequent cycles, respectively (p<0.001). with close monitoring during the first chemotherapy cycle, clinicians can use the patient’s response data to optimize antiemetic prophylaxis when extended cinv does occur.></0.001).>

See: “Duration of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) as a predictor of recurrent CINV in later cycles.” Rudolph Navari et al. The Oncologist.