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Objective. The efficacies of the selective 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 3] (5-HT[sub 3]) antagonists—ramosetron (0.3 mg) and granisetron (3 mg) in treating acute chemotherapy-induced digestive system dysfunction were compared. Methods. A total of 111 patients were enrolled in a single-blind, randomized crossover study; with data from 98 were used to assess efficacy and data from 110 to assess the safety profile. Ramesetron or granisetron was given intraveneously 15 min before chemotherapy. Results. The ability of ramosetron to prevent emesis, nausea and anorexia was similar to granisetron during the first 6 h following the administration of chemotherapy, cisplatin or doxorubicin. However, during the first 24 h after chemotherapy, significant differences between ramosetron and granisetron appeared: emetic episode (P = 0.068), nausea (P = 0.006), and anorexia (P = 0.048) remained lower in ramosetron-treated patients. The safety profile of ramosetron was similar to that of granisetron and adverse events in beth groups were generally mild and transient. Conclusion. Ramosetron is more potent and longer-lasting than granisetron in preventing chemotherapy-induced digestive disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To study the efficacy and long-term survival of high-dose chemotherapy supported by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC).., Methods: Seven patients with pathologically confirmed SCLC were enrolled into the study, including 6 patients who had achieved CR or PR after conventional chemotherapy, and 1 patient who underwent surgical treatment and 6 cycles of conventional postoperative chemotherapy. All patients received a high-dose chemotherapy regimen of cyclophosphamide 6 g/m², etoposide 1.2 g/m², carboplatin 1.2 g/m² following APBSCT. Six of 7 patients received local radiotherapy after the procedure, however, another patient over 60 years did not receive local radiotherapy because of pneumonia complication. All patients were consecutively followed up and median follow-up duration was 27 (25-82) months., Results: Survival of the 7 patients was longer than 2 years. Three patients were still alive for more than 5 years after treatment, and the longest one up to 82 months. Three patients died and their survival time was 26, 27 and 27 months respectively., Conclusions: High-dose chemotherapy supported by APBSCT combined with local radiotherapy may be helpful to prolong survival and improve prognosis for SCLC, especially to those patients with limited disease, relatively younger age and better performance status, and responding to conventional chemotherapy.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nausea oral, disintegrating buccal tablet (DBT) in the prevention of gastrointestinal reaction induced by anticancer drugs (cisplatin DDP 30 - 50 mg/m(2) or adramycin ADM >/= 40 mg/m(2)), as compared with those of kytril tablets., Methods: A multicenter, open and randomized self-crossover control trial was carried out with all the eligible patients randomized into AB or BA group. Patients in AB group were given nausea 0.1 mg as buccal tablet one hour before chemotherapy in the first cycle and kytril tablet 2 mg in the second cycle, those in BA group were given these drugs in the reverse order., Results: Seventy-three patients were allotted to this study, including 44 patients in DDP-arm and 29 in ADM-arm. Sixty-two patients were evaluable for response and 70 patients for safety. Nausea DBT was as effective as kytril tablet in the control of anorexia, nausea and vomiting during the first 24 hours after chemotherapy, with response rates of 74.2%, 77.4%, 83.9% in nausea DBT and 74.2%, 71.0%, 88.7% DBT in kytril tablets. A high efficacy in the control of vommitting induced by cisplatin was observed in both nausea DBT and kytril tablets. The complete control rates and overall control rates were 83.3%, 91.7% in nausea DBT and 86.1%, 97.2% in kytril tablets, respectively. The side effects of nausea DBT were head heaviness, dry mouth and somnolence, which were mild and comparable with kytril in their frequencies., Conclusion: Nausea disintegrating buccal tablet is able to effectively prevent gastrointestinal reaction induced by anticancer drugs, with efficacy and side effects similar to kytril tablets. Nausea DB tablet, an intraoral disintegrator, is very convenient for patients who can not swallow tablets for various reasons.