Health News
by Pamela Nickoles, RN, BSN, Oncology Clinical Trials Nurse, Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute
When a person is faced with cancer and the need for chemotherapy, one of the most dreaded side effects of this treatment is nausea. Twenty years or even a decade ago supportive care medications for the treatment of nausea, called anti-emetics, were limited in both numbers and in effectiveness. Many times physicians had to either delay or dose reduce chemotherapy treatments for those patients experiencing severe nausea and or vomiting.
Luckily today, with the development and use of newer classes of anti-emetics, this side effect is much more under control.
Classes of Anti-Nausea Medications:
? Serotonin antagonists: Ondansetron (Zofran), Dolasetron (Anzemet), Granisetron (Kytril), Palonosetron (Aloxi)
? Steroids: Dexamethasone
? Dopamine agonists: Metoclopramide (Reglan), Haloperidol (Haldol), Prochlorperazine (compazine)
? Neurokinin 1 Receptor Antagonist: Aprepitant (Emend)
? Adjunctive medications: Alprazolam (Xanax), Lorazepam (Ativan), Scopolamine, Benadryl
As a rule, only one medicine from each class should be used. Using medicines from two or more classes is often more effective than is using any one medicine alone.
Not everyone reacts to chemotherapy in the same way. Risk factors for increased nausea include:
? Type of chemotherapy being given ? some agents are more nausea producing than others
? Chemotherapy combined with radiation
? Female gender
? Age (under age 50)
? History of nausea with prior treatments
? History of motion sickness
? History of morning sickness during pregnancies.
? Preconceived notions that ?chemotherapy and nausea go hand-in-hand?, places one at higher risk.
Ways to Reduce Chemotherapy Induced Nausea:
? Eat small, frequent meals and don?t skip meals
? Eat what appeals to you
? Limit sweet, fried or fatty foods
? Have someone else prepare the food
? Avoid unpleasant smells
? Drink lots of fluids
? Use relaxation techniques
These self-care measures may help you prevent nausea and vomiting, but they can't take the place of anti-nausea medications. Today, physicians have an array of choices for the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy induced nausea with many more drugs currently in development. Don?t be surprised if in the future chemotherapy-induced nausea will be eliminated.
To learn more about the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute, call 410-601-WELL (93550>
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- Elizabethtown Cancer Clinic Pays $3.7 Million To Resolve Claims It Diluted Drugs, Prolonged Chemotherapy To Make More Money
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- Acupuncture Is Actually A Gentle Way To Treat, Despite The Needles
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- Breaking Down The Myths Of Clinical Trials
by Judy Bosley RN, BSN, Oncology Research Nurse Manager The Alvin and Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute Hearing the diagnosis of cancer can be a life changing event. The diagnosis can create many different feelings, anger, disbelief, sadness and shock. Once...
- Sinai Nurse Wins Spirited Women Award
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Health News
Chemotherapy & Nausea: What You May Not Know
by Pamela Nickoles, RN, BSN, Oncology Clinical Trials Nurse, Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute
When a person is faced with cancer and the need for chemotherapy, one of the most dreaded side effects of this treatment is nausea. Twenty years or even a decade ago supportive care medications for the treatment of nausea, called anti-emetics, were limited in both numbers and in effectiveness. Many times physicians had to either delay or dose reduce chemotherapy treatments for those patients experiencing severe nausea and or vomiting.
Luckily today, with the development and use of newer classes of anti-emetics, this side effect is much more under control.
Classes of Anti-Nausea Medications:
? Serotonin antagonists: Ondansetron (Zofran), Dolasetron (Anzemet), Granisetron (Kytril), Palonosetron (Aloxi)
? Steroids: Dexamethasone
? Dopamine agonists: Metoclopramide (Reglan), Haloperidol (Haldol), Prochlorperazine (compazine)
? Neurokinin 1 Receptor Antagonist: Aprepitant (Emend)
? Adjunctive medications: Alprazolam (Xanax), Lorazepam (Ativan), Scopolamine, Benadryl
As a rule, only one medicine from each class should be used. Using medicines from two or more classes is often more effective than is using any one medicine alone.
Not everyone reacts to chemotherapy in the same way. Risk factors for increased nausea include:
? Type of chemotherapy being given ? some agents are more nausea producing than others
? Chemotherapy combined with radiation
? Female gender
? Age (under age 50)
? History of nausea with prior treatments
? History of motion sickness
? History of morning sickness during pregnancies.
? Preconceived notions that ?chemotherapy and nausea go hand-in-hand?, places one at higher risk.
Ways to Reduce Chemotherapy Induced Nausea:
? Eat small, frequent meals and don?t skip meals
? Eat what appeals to you
? Limit sweet, fried or fatty foods
? Have someone else prepare the food
? Avoid unpleasant smells
? Drink lots of fluids
? Use relaxation techniques
These self-care measures may help you prevent nausea and vomiting, but they can't take the place of anti-nausea medications. Today, physicians have an array of choices for the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy induced nausea with many more drugs currently in development. Don?t be surprised if in the future chemotherapy-induced nausea will be eliminated.
To learn more about the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute, call 410-601-WELL (93550>
- Elizabethtown Doctors Who Paid Millions To Settle Claims Of Bill-padding Are Sued By Chemotherapy Patients
"Eight former patients or their estates have sued the Elizabethtown cancer doctors who paid the government $3.7 million last June to settle claims they extended chemotherapy treatments to pad their bills," Andrew Wolfson reports for The Courier-Journal....
- Elizabethtown Cancer Clinic Pays $3.7 Million To Resolve Claims It Diluted Drugs, Prolonged Chemotherapy To Make More Money
Elizabethtown Hematology Oncology PLC and its owners has paid $3,739,325 to settle claims "that they submitted false claims for payment to the Medicare, Medicaid and the military's medical provider for extending the duration of chemotherapy infusion...
- Acupuncture Is Actually A Gentle Way To Treat, Despite The Needles
Cheryl Truman of the Lexington Herald-Leader takes a look at acupuncture, an alternative form of medicine with practitioners across the state. "It's a really gentle form of medicine, even though there's needles," said Kathleen Fluhart, a nurse...
- Breaking Down The Myths Of Clinical Trials
by Judy Bosley RN, BSN, Oncology Research Nurse Manager The Alvin and Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute Hearing the diagnosis of cancer can be a life changing event. The diagnosis can create many different feelings, anger, disbelief, sadness and shock. Once...
- Sinai Nurse Wins Spirited Women Award
Sinai Hospital oncology nurse Bunny Kohn, R.N., was honored as the 2009 Spirited Women of Baltimore this afternoon. The event was held at Morton's Steakhouse and benefited the American Red Cross. The Spirited Women Awards recognize women making extraordinary...