Concomitants of Anticipatory Nausea and Emesis in Cancer Patients in Chemotherapy

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Abstract
125 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were assessed for anticipatory nausea and anticipatory emesis, two side effects of chemotherapy for cancer. 32% and 12% of the patients reported experiencing anticipatory nausea and emesis, respectively. The prevalence and somatic concomitants of the anticipatory symptoms were assessed using the Cancer Chemotherapy Questionnaire and a standardized interview. Analysis of variance indicated that patients evidencing anticipatory nausea, emesis, and a combination of the two symptoms differed significantly from patients without these symptoms on six somatic side effects: vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, shortness of breath, muscle weakness, and fatigue. Results from the standardized interview indicated that patients with nausea or emesis had identified several cognitions and cues (visual, olfactory, but not gustatory) temporally contiguous with the anticipatory response. The possibility that this phenomenon is the result of a cognitive conditioning process was examined and the implications of such a process were discussed.