Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) continues to be a major concern in cancer treatment. In fact, despite advances in oncological therapies and supportive care, more than 50% of patients undergoing emetogenic chemotherapy still experienceacute and delayed CINV.
The immediate impact of CINV on Quality of Life (QoL) is obvious. Unfortunately, healthcare providers often underestimate the incidence of CINV in cancer patients and the importance of an effective management of this condition.
The risk of developing CINV depends upon patient- and treatment-related factors. Patient-related risk factors include age <50 years, female gender, low chronic alcohol intake, prior episodes of CINV, susceptibility to motion sickness, and anxiety. With respect to treatment-related risk factors, each chemotherapy agent has an intrinsic propensity to cause CINV, the intensity of which depends on the class and dose of drug administered.
The “CINV Risk Test”, available with this application, is an user-friendly tool which helps the correct evaluation of each patient’srelative risk of developing CINV. Some practical hints for the patients in managing nausea and vomiting are included in the tool.