Alex Molassiotis

International antiemetic guidelines on chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) : content and implementation in daily routine practice

Over the past decades major improvements in the management of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) were obtained. With the correct use of antiemetic drugs, CINV can be prevented in almost 70%, and even up to, 80% of patients. Treatment guidelines enable physicians to integrate the latest clinical research into their daily practice. The large volume of rapidly evolving clinical data has been summarised and incorporated into treatment recommendations by well-known and reliable institutions. These organisations include the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC), the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). However, despite the availability of these guidelines, there is an emerging evidence that adherence to, and implementation of, treatment recommendations is less than optimal. This review will especially focus on the content of the current antiemetic guidelines and will address the important question of how these guidelines are implemented in routine practice.

2016 Updated MASCC/ESMO consensus recommendations: Management of nausea and vomiting in advanced cancer

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to review the existing literature related to the management of nausea and vomiting (N & V) in advanced cancer and derive clinical evidence-based recommendations for its management.MethodsAvailable systematic reviews on antiemetic drug effectiveness were used. One generic systematic review of antiemetics in advanced cancer (to 2009) was updated to February 2016. Agreement on recommendations was reached between panel members, and these were voted in favor unanimously by the larger antiemetic committee membership (n = 37).ResultsThe evidence base in this field is minimal with largely poor quality trials or uncontrolled trials and case studies. The level of evidence in most studies is low. The drug of choice for managing N & V in advanced cancer is metoclopramide titrated to effect. Alternative options include haloperidol, levomepromazine, or olanzapine. For bowel obstruction, the recommendation is to use octreotide given alongside an antiemetic (haloperidol) and where octreotide is not an option to use an anticholinergic antisecretory agent. For opioid-induced N & V, no recommendation could be made.ConclusionThese new guidelines, based on the existing (but poor) evidence, could help clinicians manage more effectively the complex and challenging symptoms of N & V in advanced cancer.

The development of a prediction tool to identify cancer patients at high risk for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

Background Despite the availability of effective antiemetics and evidence-based guidelines, up to 40% of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy fail to achieve complete nausea and vomiting control. In addition to type of chemotherapy, several patient-related risk factors for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) have been identified. To incorporate these factors into the optimal selection of prophylactic antiemetics, a repeated measures cycle-based model to predict the risk of ≥ grade 2 CINV (≥2 vomiting episodes or a decrease in oral intake due to nausea) from days 0 to 5 post-chemotherapy was developed. Patients and methods Data from 1198 patients enrolled in one of the five non-interventional CINV prospective studies were pooled. Generalized estimating equations were used in a backwards elimination process with the P-value set at <0.05 to identify the relevant predictive factors. A risk scoring algorithm (range 0–32) was then derived from the final model coefficients. Finally, a receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROCC) analysis was done to measure the predictive accuracy of the scoring algorithm. Results Over 4197 chemotherapy cycles, 42.2% of patients experienced ≥grade 2 CINV. Eight risk factors were identified: patient age <60 years, the first two cycles of chemotherapy, anticipatory nausea and vomiting, history of morning sickness, hours of sleep the night before chemotherapy, CINV in the prior cycle, patient self-medication with non-prescribed treatments, and the use of platinum or anthracycline-based regimens. The ROC analysis indicated good predictive accuracy with an area-under-the-curve of 0.69 (95% CI: 0.67–0.70). Before to each cycle of therapy, patients with risk scores ≥16 units would be considered at high risk for developing ≥grade 2 CINV. Conclusions The clinical application of this prediction tool will be an important source of individual patient risk information for the oncology clinician and may enhance patient care by optimizing the use of the antiemetics in a proactive manner.

Supportive care in lung cancer : milestones over the past 40 years

The evolution of supportive care in lung cancer (LC) is the focus of this article, which aims to present an overall picture of the developments in the field, highlight milestones over the past four decades, and provide directions for future research and practice. Although in the 1970s this study was minimal, from the 1980s onwards, there was an expansion of the range of topics covered in the literature, reflecting the importance of supportive care to clinical practice. These areas include the identification of supportive care needs in LC, symptoms and symptom management, psychosocial aspects and coping with LC (including support of caregivers), quality of life issues and the development and testing of patient-reported outcomes, the option of best supportive care versus treatment, smoking cessation before and after diagnosis of LC, and service delivery models. This article celebrates the evolution of supportive LC care over the past 40 years alongside recognizing that more work needs to be done in the future and new research foci need to be developed to meet the current needs of patients with LC. The role and the continuous efforts of the International Association of the Study of Lung Cancer, including the sixteenth World Conference on Lung Cancer in 2015 to meet this goal, will be crucial and strategic in the future.

Sham Acupressure Controls Used in Randomized Controlled Trials: A Systematic Review and Critique

Objectives To explore the commonly utilized sham acupressure procedures in existing acupressure trials, and to assess whether different types of sham interventions yield different therapeutic outcomes, and, as far as possible, to identify directions for the future development of an adequate sham acupressure method. Methods Randomized controlled trials comparing true acupressure with sham interventions were included. Thirteen electronic databases were adopted to locate relevant studies from inception to July 3, 2014. Meanwhile, eight Chinese journals on complementary and alternative medicine were manually searched to locate eligible articles. In addition, eligible studies listed in the reference lists of the included papers and other related systematic reviews on acupressure were also screened to further search any potentially eligible trials. Methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the risk of bias assessment tool developed by the Cochrane Back Review Group. Descriptive analysis was adopted to summarize the therapeutic outcomes. Results Sixty-six studies with 7265 participants were included. Methodological quality of the included trials was generally satisfactory. Six types of sham acupressure approaches were identified and “non-acupoint” stimulation was the most frequently utilized sham point while an acupressure device was the most commonly used approach for administering sham treatments. Acupressure therapy was a beneficial approach in managing a variety of health problems and the therapeutic effect was found to be more effective in the true acupressure groups than that in the sham comparative groups. No clear association could be identified between different sham acupressure modalities and the reported treatment outcomes. Conclusions A great diversity of sham acupressure controls have been used in clinical practice and research. A solid conclusion whether different sham alternatives are related to different treatment outcomes cannot be derived because of significant clinical heterogeneity among the analyzed trials. Non-acupoints are generally recommended but the definite locations should be identified with caution. For studies using single sham acupoints on hands or legs, it is suggested to apply identical acupressure devices on the same acupoint as in the active intervention without any stimulation. While for studies on pain, stimulation of sham acupoints should be avoided.

Managing cancer-related fatigue with acupuncture: is it all good news for patients?

Chronic fatigue linked with cancer and cancer treatments is a complex, debilitating and burdensome symptom or side effect, which affects almost all patients. This is a symptom that is about tiredness, but also with cognitive, psychological and motivational parameters. In the past decade researchers have started looking at non-pharmacological interventions to manage fatigue, in the absence of any credible pharmacological treatments, identifying a small pool of potentially effective interventions. Self-management is often the norm.1 Acupuncture has gained increasing attention among researchers and several small-scale trials have been conducted, largely with positive results. For example, Johnson et al 2 have reported that acupuncture, in addition to patient education, decreased fatigue in comparison with that in a usual-care group, despite finding difficulty in recruiting more than a few patients. In this issue of the journal, Smith et al 3 also provide initial evidence of significant improvements in fatigue levels in a group of patients with breast cancer and show the feasibility of such a trial. Similarly, it might be possible to extend positive results to other patient groups with chronic fatigue, such as those with multiple sclerosis, as reported in another observational study in this issue.4 Results from such uncontrolled studies need confirmation. We have recently …

Mapping unmet supportive care needs, quality-of-life perceptions and current symptoms in cancer survivors across the Asia-Pacific region: results from the International STEP Study

Background To assess the supportive care needs, quality of life (QoL) and symptoms of patients with cancer after the end of first-line treatments and into survivorship in Asian countries using Australian data as benchmark. Patients and methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Australia and eight high-income (HICs) and low-/middle-income (LMICs) Asian countries (China, Japan, Hong Kong SAR, South Korea, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Philippines) using validated scales (Cancer Survivors Unmet Needs scale), physical-symptom concerns (Cancer Survivors Survey of Needs subscale) and a single-item measure of global QoL perception. Results Data were collected from 1748 patients from nine countries. QoL was highest in Australia and all other countries had significantly lower QoL than Australia (all P < 0.001). One-quarter of the patients reported low QoL (scores 1-3/10). The most frequently reported symptoms were fatigue (66.6%), loss of strength (61.8%), pain (61.6%), sleep disturbance (60.1%), and weight changes (57.7%), with no difference in symptom experience between Australian data and all other countries, or between HICs and LMICs. Unmet needs of moderate/strong level were particularly high in all aspects assessed, particularly in the area of existential survivorship (psychosocial care) and receiving comprehensive cancer care. Australia and HICs were similar in terms of unmet needs (all low), but LMICs had a significantly higher number of needs both compared with Australia and HICs (all P < 0.001). Conclusion Health care systems in Asian countries need to re-think and prioritize survivorship cancer care and put action plans in place to overcome some of the challenges surrounding the delivery of optimal supportive cancer care, use available resource-stratified guidelines for supportive care and test efficient and cost-effective models of survivorship care.

Use of the modified Borg scale and Numerical Rating Scale to measure chronic breathlessness: a pooled data analysis.

The subjective nature of the experience of chronic breathlessness (dyspnoea) creates challenges for patients who need to communicate its intensity, and for clinicians and researchers who need to measure the symptom in order to plan management and assess the effect of interventions. Measuring chronic dyspnoea in clinical studies: numerical rating scale better than the modified Borg scale http://ow.ly/XZc1G

2016 updated MASCC/ESMO consensus recommendations: Anticipatory nausea and vomiting in children and adults receiving chemotherapy.

PurposeWe aimed to update the 2011 recommendations for the prevention and treatment of anticipatory nausea and vomiting in children and adults receiving chemotherapy.MethodsThe original systematic literature search was updated. Randomized studies were included in the evidence to support this guideline if they as follows: were primary studies published in a journal in full text (i.e., abstracts, letters, book chapters, and dissertations were excluded); published in English; evaluated an intervention for the prevention or treatment of anticipatory nausea and vomiting; reported the proportion of patients experiencing complete control of anticipatory nausea and vomiting consistently and; included at least ten participants per study arm for comparative studies and at least ten participants overall for noncomparative studies.ResultsEighty-eight new citations were identified. Of these, nine were brought to full-text screening; none met inclusion criteria. The guideline panel continues to recommend that anticipatory nausea and vomiting are best prevented through optimization of acute and delayed phase chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting control. Benzodiazepines and behavioral therapies, in particular progressive muscle relaxation training, systematic desensitization and hypnosis, continue to be recommended for the treatment of anticipatory nausea and vomiting.ConclusionsNo new information regarding interventions aimed at treating or preventing ANV that met criteria for inclusion in this systematic review was identified. The 2015 MASCC recommendations affirm the content of the 2009 MASCC recommendations for the prevention and treatment of anticipatory nausea and vomiting.

2016 updated MASCC/ESMO consensus recommendations: prevention of radiotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

PurposeRadiotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (RINV) are distressing symptoms. Evidence-based guidelines should facilitate the prescription of the best possible antiemetic prophylaxis. As part of the MASCC/ESMO Antiemetic Guidelines Update 2016, a thorough review of the literature concerning RINV since the 2009 update was required.MethodsA systematic review of the literature including data published from June 2009 to May 2015 was performed. Committee VII (RINV) under the MASCC/ESMO Antiemetic Guidelines Update Committee assessed the literature.ResultsThe searches yielded 926 records, 906 records were excluded, leaving 20 records for full text assessment, and 18 publications were finally included. The only fully published randomized studies in prevention of RINV were two negative studies in acupuncture and green tea, respectively. No data to support new recommendations for antiemetic prophylaxis in RINV was available. However, based on expert opinions, the committee agreed on changes in emetic risk level for certain sites of irradiation.ConclusionsThe serotonin receptor antagonists are still the corner stone in antiemetic prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting induced by high and moderate emetic risk radiotherapy. The studies available since the last update did not change recommendations for antiemetic prophylaxis. The emetogenicity of craniospinal radiotherapy was reclassified from low to moderate emetic level along with some other minor changes. In the future, RINV prophylaxis in single fraction, multiple fraction, and in concomitant chemo-radiotherapy still need to be explored with regard to the different classes and combinations of antiemetic drugs.