Marchioro, G., Azzarello, G., Viviani, F., Barbato, F., Pavanetto, M., Rosetti, F., … Vinante, O. (2000). Hypnosis in the treatment of anticipatory nausea and vomiting in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. Oncology, 59, 100–104.

To evaluate the use of hypnosis in the management of anticipatory nausea and vomiting

Patients received two hours of training in progressive relaxation, followed by a one-hour hypnosis program. No drugs were given in association with the hypnotherapy. After the intervention, patients immediately went to their scheduled chemotherapy.

• The study consisted of 16 adults with anticipatory nausea and vomiting from at least four previous courses of chemotherapy.
• The majority of the sample was female (n = 14).
• Median age was 44 years.
• Patients did not have metastatic disease to the brain or gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
• Cancer types included were ovarian, Hodgkin, testicular, lung, and breast.
• Chemotherapy received included cisplatin, carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, dacarbazine, doxorubicin, and epirubicin.
• All patients had to have previously undergone four cycles of 5-HT₃ and developed nausea and vomiting.
• The sample was a convenience sample.

All patients were from an outpatient setting.

A Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to measure complete response (CR) (mild nausea with no vomiting), major response (moderate to severe nausea and one vomiting episode), or no response (none of the above).

In all of the 16 patients in the study, anticipatory nausea and vomiting disappeared. Major responses (moderate to severe nausea, with one vomiting episode) to chemotherapy-induced emesis control occurred in 14 of the 16 patients.

• The study included a very small population.
• No interrater reliability was reported.
• No control group was used.
• Patients with brain metastasis or cognitive disabilities were excluded.

Caution should be used regarding patient selection; some patients should not be hypnotized.