Antiemetic activity of ondansetron in cancer patients receiving non-cisplatin chemotherapy.

The emetogenic properties of chemotherapeutic agents differ in terms of the frequency, intensity, time of onset, and duration of vomiting and nausea. As the effects of antiemetic agents in the control of emesis induced by different chemotherapeutic agents could differ, new antiemetics must be tested against a variety of chemotherapy challenges. In many non-cisplatin chemotherapy situations, a partly or totally oral schedule of antiemetic administration may be preferable. The selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT3)-receptor antagonist, ondansetron, has been shown to be a safe, effective, and well-tolerated antiemetic in the prevention of nausea and vomiting from several non-cisplatin chemotherapies. In randomized studies, ondansetron has compared favorably with metoclopramide in patients receiving cyclophosphamide-containing chemotherapy regimens.