Borjeson, S., Hursti, T.J., Tishelman, C., Peterson, C., & Steineck, G. (2002). Treatment of nausea and emesis during cancer chemotherapy: Discrepancies between antiemetic effect and well-being. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 24, 345–358.

To evaluate the relationship between antiemetic effect and well being over four different antiemetic treatment strategies

• The study consisted of a total of 162 chemotherapy-naive patients with ovarian cancer.
• All patients received similar combination chemotherapy, including cisplatin (50 mg/m²).

This study was conducted in the greater Stockholm, Sweden, area, with two gynecologic oncology wards.

Patients were randomly admitted to one of the two hospital wards for the study. Study II was a randomized, double-blind trial on the same hospital wards.

• Patients completed self-assessment questionnaires the day after and two weeks after chemotherapy.
• Presence, frequency, and intensity (on a 0–100 visual analog scale [VAS]) of nausea and vomiting was recorded. 
• Duration of acute nausea, including time of onset and number of hours until relieved, were recorded.
• Delayed nausea, including the number of days with any symptoms, was recorded for two weeks after chemotherapy.
• Questionnaires were administered regarding well-being before, during, and after chemotherapy.
• A 0–100 VAS was used to measure aspects of quality of life and well-being.

• Relief from delayed symptoms was highest in the group that received high-dose metoclopramide (2.5 mg/kg x 2), dexamethasone (20 mg x 1), lorazepam (1 mg x 2), and biperiden (1-2 mg x 3) followed by low-dose metoclopramide (20 mg x 3) orally for three days after chemotherapy.
• Nausea intensity was lowest in the group that received ondansetron (8 mg x 3) and dexamethasone (20 mg x 1) IV during the chemotherapy day and ondansetron orally (8 mg x 3) for five days after chemotherapy.
• Duration of acute nausea was shortest in the high-dose metoclopramide group. The high-dose metoclopramide and the ondansetron and dexamethasone groups reported better well-being.
• Duration of acute nausea was the only variable that was significantly related to well-being in both samples.
• Relaxation training was offered to 20 patients in the ondansetron and placebo group and 18 patients in the ondansetron and dexamethasone group; no differences were found in the studied variables.

• Some patients received a benzodiazepine, but no comparison regarding effect can be made.
• All patients had ovarian cancer, were in the same department, and were treated with similar chemotherapy.