Arslan, M., & Ozdemir, L. (2015). Oral intake of ginger for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting among women with breast cancer. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 19, E92–E97. 

DOI Link

Study Purpose

To determine the effects of ginger on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in women receiving adjuvant anthracycline for breast cancer

Intervention Characteristics/Basic Study Process

Patients were randomly assigned to control and treatment groups. Women in the intervention group consumed 500 mg of powdered ginger mixed with yogurt twice daily after an initial dose 30 minutes prior to chemotherapy. Both groups received triplet antiemetic therapy. Patients were followed for five days and were asked to record episodes of vomiting and retching and to evaluate their nausea using a numeric 10-point scale four times per day in a diary. The numeric scale also was used on the first day of chemotherapy to collect baseline data. Patient diaries were collected at the end of the five-day study period.

Sample Characteristics

  • N = 60  
  • MEAN AGE = 48.5 years (range = 49–58 years)
  • FEMALES: 100%
  • KEY DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: All patients were receiving adjuvant anthracycline, were currently receiving triplet antiemetics, and experienced grade 3 or higher CINV during the previous cycle of chemotherapy.

Setting

  • SITE: Single site  
  • SETTING TYPE: Outpatient  
  • LOCATION: Turkey

Phase of Care and Clinical Applications

  • PHASE OF CARE: Active antitumor treatment

Study Design

Randomized, controlled trial

Measurement Instruments/Methods

  • Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for nausea
  • Patient diary 

Results

Nausea severity was significantly lower in the experimental group after the intervention on study days 2–5 (p = 0.0001). The number of vomiting episodes also was lower in the experimental group on some study days (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The use of ginger as an adjuvant to triplet antiemetics among women receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy resulted in lower acute and delayed nausea severity.

Limitations

  • Small sample (< 100)
  • Risk of bias (no blinding)

 

Nursing Implications

Advances in antiemetic drugs have substantially improved the prevention and control vomiting in the acute and delayed phases of CINV. However, the prevention of nausea has been difficult to achieve. Findings from this study suggest that the use of ginger in combination with triplet antiemetics can be beneficial in reducing the severity of nausea.