Hayashi, T., Ikesue, H., Esaki, T., Fukazawa, M., Abe, M., Ohno, S., … Oishi, R. (2012). Implementation of institutional antiemetic guidelines for low emetic risk chemotherapy with docetaxel: A clinical and cost evaluation. Supportive Care in Cancer, 20, 1805–1810.
To evaluate the effect of implementation of institutional guidelines (12 mg dexamethasone alone) for low-emetic risk chemotherapy with docetaxel and to estimate the cost savings for all low-emetic risk chemotherapies in a year
All patients with breast cancer received either four courses of FEC therapy (500 mg/m2 5-fluorouracil, 100 mg/m2 epirubicin, and 500 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide) or EC therapy (100 mg/m2 epirubicin and 600 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide, every 21 days) followed by adjuvant docetaxel therapy (70–75 mg/m2) every 21 days for four cycles.
Before implementation of the institutional antiemetic guidelines, group one (41 patients, 151 courses) received 4 mg ondansetron plus 8 mg IV dexamethasone 30 minutes before treatment with docetaxel.
After implementation of the guidelines, group two (56 patients, 205 courses) received 12 mg dexamethasone only. In both groups, 4 mg oral dexamethasone was given twice a day on days 2 and 3 of docetaxel therapy for prevention of docetaxel-related fluid retention.
Effectiveness and adverse effects were compared between groups. With patients who received dexamethasone and ondansetron, investigators evaluated incidence of nausea, vomiting, and adverse reactions with docetaxel retrospectively in the medical records.
Additionally, a cost minimization analysis was performed to assess the economic impact of implementing institutional antiemetic guidelines. The cost comparison looked at 4 mg ondansetron + 8 mg dexamethasone + 100 ml normal saline versus 12 mg dexamethasone + 100 ml normal saline plus the time to prepare the antiemetic guidelines, attending committee, and change order sets.
This study was conducted at a single site, the National Hospital Organization Kyushu Cancer Center (NKCC) in Fukuoka, Japan.
All patients were in active treatment. This study has applications for late effects and treatment.
This was a retrospective cohort study.
The Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0, was used to grade adverse drug reactions.
Dexamethasone alone (12 mg) appeared to be as effective in preventing nausea and vomiting as ondansetron and dexamethasone (8 mg) in low-risk emetic chemotherapy with docetaxel, and it was more cost effective.
The use of 12 mg dexamethasone alone for low-risk ematogenic antineoplastic therapies such as docetaxel is recommended in the literature, has shown reasonable effectiveness for preventing nausea and vomiting, and is economically advantageous.
Hayashi, H., Kobayashi, R., Suzuki, A., Ishihara, M., Nakamura, N., Kitagawa, J., . . . Itoh, Y. (2014). Polaprezinc prevents oral mucositis in patients treated with high-dose chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Anticancer Research, 34, 7271–7277.
To investigate whether polaprezinc is effective in preventing oral mucositis (OM) in patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy and radiation followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)
The treatment group received polaprezinc alginate (P-AG) solution rinses four times per day for one month after transplantation. The control group received an azulene oral rinse four times per day for one month after transplantation.
Retrospective study
P-AG decreased the incidence of grade 2 or greater OM. The average grade of OM was lower in the P-AG group. There was a decrease in the amount of moderate to severe pain.
P-AG might be effective in lowering the incidence and severity of OM in patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy and radiation followed by HSCT.
P-AG may help in the prevention of OM, but additional study is warranted before a practice change is recommended.
Hayama, Y., & Inoue, T. (2012). The effects of deep breathing on 'tension-anxiety' and fatigue in cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 18, 94–98.
To investigate the effect of a deep breathing intervention, incorporated within conventional nursing care, on tension-anxiety and fatigue experienced by Japanese women with gynecologic cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy for the first time.
To reduce tension-anxiety and fatigue through deep breathing that incorporated elements of exercise.
The deep breathing intervention was initiated for patients in the intervention group. Each patient received 15 minutes of guidance from the researcher using a DVD and pamphlets. The intervention was performed with nursing assistance pre- and postchemotherapy, with the latter given on the second, fourth, and sixth days. The control group received treatment with the usual chemotherapy and nursing care.
The study used a randomized, controlled trial design.
There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of age, diagnosis, or cancer clinical stage or treatment type (p > 0.05). Prechemotherapy data showed no significant differences between the intervention and control groups in the previously mentioned measurement tools. The postchemotherapy tension-anxiety scores were lower in the intervention group (p = 0.01). Both groups showed significant reductions in tension-anxiety scores (both p = 0.00). The postchemotherapy physical and total fatigue scores of the intervention group were significantly lower than those of the control group (physical, p = 0.04; total, p = 0.04).
The study demonstrated that the tension-anxiety and fatigue scores of patients undergoing chemotherapy for gynecologic cancers were lowered when the nurses assisted them with deep breathing for a short period in addition to providing conventional nursing care provided pre- and postchemotherapy. The prominent features of the study were that it used a program that combined three deep breathing techniques and was of short duration (10 minutes).
These are very simple exercises that can be taught to patients and be performed even while they are receiving chemotherapy. In addition to usual nursing care, nurses can contribute to reducing patients’ tension-anxiety and fatigue by assisting them in performing deep breathing.
Hawley, P.H., & Byeon, J.J. (2008). A comparison of sennosides-based bowel protocols with and without docusate in hospitalized patients with cancer. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 11, 575–581.
To determine the efficacy of sennoside-based regimens on the proportion of total days with at least one bowel movement (BM) per day.
During phase I, the first 30 consecutive eligible patients admitted to the ward received docusate plus sennosides (DS) for management of constipation. Dosing was as follows.
During phase II, the next 30 eligible patients with constipation received sennosides only. Dosing was as follows.
Rescue laxatives included lactulose, a suppository, or enema as needed. Only 12 days of bowel protocol were abstracted from the medical record.
This was a nonrandomized, nonblinded, sequential cohort study.
Nursing chart review
Sennosides only produced more BMs than DS.
Adding a stool softener such as docusate does not necessarily produce superior results than those seen with a laxative alone. However, additional randomized, double-blind studies should be conducted before conclusions and evidence into practice are drawn. The usefulness of this study is questionable because of its design and execution issues.
Hawley, P., Hovan, A., McGahan, C.E., & Saunders, D. (2014). A randomized placebo-controlled trial of manuka honey for radiation-induced oral mucositis. Supportive Care in Cancer, 22, 751–761.
To determine if honey swished, held, and swallowed reduced the severity of radiation-induced oral mucositis (ROM)
Honey and placebo gel were provided in 5 mL packets to be taken after salt/bicarbonate oral rinses four times a day after meals and after radiotherapy or approximately the same time on non-treatment days. Participants were to pour the product into their mouth, circulate it for 30 seconds, and swallow. Subjects were instructed not to eat, drink, or rinse their mouth for 30 minutes following swallowing the honey or placebo. Treatment started on the first day of radiation and continued for seven days following the last radiation treatment. Visits to the oral oncology/dentistry department were scheduled weekly until mucositis was resolved. During each visit, an oral examination was done for mucositis severity rating, a brief questionnaire was conducted, and weight was obtained. Unused treatment medication was collected at the last visit to measure compliance.
There were no differences found between the treatment and placebo arms for any of the three outcome assessment scales of mucositis for quality of life, symptom scores, or sialometry. Both the honey (35%) and placebo (43%) groups had lower than expected rates of ≥ grade 3 mucositis.
The honey, when used as directed in this study, did not significantly decrease the severity of ROM. The treatment and placebo groups were well matched, and the blinding was effective. The dropout rate was high (honey: 57%, placebo: 52%, those receiving concurrent chemotherapy: 59%). Most of the dropouts were related to nausea. Patients receiving radiation only had a dropout rate of 48%. Only 48 patients had complete weekly mucositis assessments.
There have been varied outcomes in studies of honey for the treatment of mucositis. Differences in methodology could explain at least part of the variability. In this study, the subjects tolerated the honey poorly because of nausea and gagging, and a couple patients experienced a burning sensation. The authors referenced a study from New Zealand in which a honey mouthwash was used because undiluted honey caused extreme nausea, vomiting, and stinging sensations. Potential reasons for the lack of efficacy seen could be that the mucositis tools may not have had adequate sensitivity to reveal any clinical difference between or the osmotic effect of the honey and placebo. Also, Christian areas like Canada, New Zealand, and Great Britain, where honey does not have any special significance, may differ from Muslim areas that have the Koran’s references to honey’s healing powers.
Hawkins, A.S., Yoo, D.C., Movson, J.S., Noto, R.B., Powers, K., & Baird, G.L. (2014). Administration of subcutaneous buffered lidocaine prior to breast lymphoscintigraphy reduces pain without decreasing lymph node visualization. Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology, 42, 260–264.
To assess whether anesthetizing the skin with buffered lidocaine before performing breast lymphoscintigraphy reduces pain
Patients were randomly assigned to the control group without lidocaine or the experimental group in which the procedure was preceded by lidocaine injection. Patients were asked to rate their pain levels before and immediately after injections for the procedure. All patients received two injections and were were masked from knowing whether one of them was lidocaine.
No difference in preprocedure pain levels existed between groups. Those who received lidocaine reported less of an increase in pain postprocedure. No difference in lymph node detection existed between groups.
Administration of local anesthetic prior to breast lymphoscintigraphy was associated with lower pain severity after the procedure.
Authors point out that local anesthesia prior to lymphoscintigraphy is not common practice, due to the assumption that any benefit would be outweighed by the pain associated with additional needle sticks. Some patients may feel significant pain during this procedure, and findings from this study suggest an approach to reduce pain with this experience. Authors discuss the findings in terms of the rationale for using a buffered lidocaine solution and implications for practical application and needed lymph node visualization.
Hatoum, H.T., Lin, S.J., Buchner, D., & Cox, D. (2012). Comparative clinical effectiveness of various 5-HT3 RA antiemetic regimens on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting associated with hospital and emergency department visits in real world practice. Supportive Care in Cancer : Official Journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 20(5), 941–949.
To compare the risk of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) events for various 5-HT3 receptor antagonists (RAs) in patients who received moderately (MEC) or highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) by evaluating hospital or emergency department (ED) admissions
Patients with breast cancer who received adjuvant chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide within four months after surgery and patients with lung cancer who were initiated on carboplatin or cisplatin-based chemotherapy within the study time frame (January 1, 2005, through June 20, 2008) were identified using the PharMetrics database. CINV events associated with hospital and ED admissions were extracted using claims with ICD-9-CM codes for nausea, vomiting, or dehydration.
In each cohort, patients were stratified into two groups, one consisting of patients initiated and maintained on palonosetron as the only 5-HT3 RA antiemetic, the other with patients who were initiated on one of the older 5-HT3 RAs and maintained on the same agent or alternated throughout the study duration between the older 5-HT3 RA and palonosetron, either as single agents or in combinations. The use of aprepitant and dexamethasone was used in both cohorts.
The study consisted of 4,868 patients with breast cancer and 7,106 patients with lung cancer (5,414 treated with carboplatin, 1,692 treated with cisplatin).
The median age in all cohorts ranged from 53–65 years.
The breast cancer cohort was 100% female.
The carboplatin-treated lung cancer cohort was 46.5% female and 53.5% male.
The cisplatin-treated lung cancer cohort was 40.3% female and 59.7% male.
The patients in the breast cancer and carboplatin-treated lung cancer cohorts were considered to be treated with moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC). The cisplatin-lung cancer cohort was considered to be treated with highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC). The authors did control for differences in age, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score, gender (lung cancer cohorts), cyclophosphamide dose per square meter per cycle (breast cancer cohort), and cisplatin and carboplatin treatment days (lung cancer cohorts).
Site and setting type was not indicated. Data was analyzed using pooled patient information from PharMetrics database.
This was a retrospective data analysis.
Based on the results presented by the authors, patients with breast or lung cancer treated with HEC or MEC, when initiated and maintained on palonosetron throughout chemotherapy, experienced significantly reduced risk of hospital- and ED-associated CINV events compared to patients who received other 5-HT3 RA-based regimens. In all three cohorts, the p value was < 0.0001. The results of the data analysis do show superiority of palensetron in reducing such events, but a number of variables and limitations may impact the results.
Antiemetic regimens containing palonosetron may be more effective in reducing severe, uncontrolled CINV than other 5-HT3 agents; however, firm conclusions cannot be drawn because of study design limitations and risks of bias.
The study is helpful because it was an analysis of a large group of patients. It also seeks to provide meaningful conclusions for patients. Although identifying interventions for the reduction of CINV in patients can aid in quality of life and ability to receive treatment in a timely manner, looking at the significance of CINV reduction in preventing serious events such as ED visits or hospitalizations is also important.
Hately, J., Laurence, V., Scott, A., Baker, R., & Thomas, P. (2003). Breathlessness clinics within specialist palliative care settings can improve the quality of life and functional capacity of patients with lung cancer. Palliative Medicine, 17(5), 410–417.
Potential patients were referred to a highly experienced palliative care physiotherapist clinic. Patients were seen by the physiotherapist at three sessions, each lasting as long as 90 minutes. Intervention consisted of breathing retraining, simple relaxation techniques, activity pacing, and psychosocial support.
The study reported on a sample of 30 patients with non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, or mesothelioma (pleural effusion excluded) who experienced breathlessness not less than one month after completion of any active treatment; 68 patients were referred, 17 did not fulfill the criteria, 4 declined, and 2 were too ill to treat. Forty-five entered the study, and 15 deteriorated or died before completion. The median age was 71 years; 24 were men, and 6 were women.
The study was conducted in an outpatient clinic in the United Kingdom.
Tools completed by the therapist at each visit
Self-assessment tools completed by patients at baseline and following the intervention (four to six weeks)
Statistical analysis of baseline data on 12 patients who were unable to complete the study compared to 30 patients who completed the study showed significantly lower Functional Capacity Scale scores (p = 0.04) at first assessment. For patients who completed the study, a highly significant (p < 0.001) change in frequency of reported breathlessness was found. A decrease existed in reported breathlessness, from 97% reporting it at least once or twice a day, 73% several times a day, and 27% most of the time to 27% experiencing dyspnea several times a day and 3% most of the time at the final visit. A statistically significant change was seen between study entry and completion (p < 0.001) in functional capacity. Overall, 19 improved function, 9 remained stable, and 2 deteriorated.
No change in sputum production was found.
Rotterdam symptom checklist:
Significant changes were seen in the physical distress scores and activity levels (no p value given). Change in psychological distress scores were borderline.
Degree of breathlessness:
Significant improvement (p < 0.001) was found in all three parameters—breathing at best, breathing at worst, and distress caused by breathlessness.
Intervention strategies:
On study entry, patients were asked to score 20 strategies that were likely to improve feelings of breathlessness. Examples of interventions include activity pacing, abdominal breathing, slowing down, relaxation exercises, not worrying, accepting the situation, and positive thinking.
Patients reported that all of the techniques they learned were helpful and improved breathlessness. Patients reported that massage and the use of bronchodilator drugs were not helpful.
Quality of life:
Significant improvements were seen in decrease in time spent lying down (p = 0.02), improved bodily strength (p = 0.03), and increase in things that made patients happy (p = 0.04). Patients reported an increased ability to do things and improved quality of life.
Qualitative data:
The following themes were extracted from the narrative data: difficulty adjusting, issues around death, effects of treatments, and therapies’ impact on daily life.
The study was uncontrolled. A major limitation of the study is that it is a nonrandomized trial of referred patients. Impossible to know are the implied bias in patients who were referred or the true effect of the intervention without a control group. It was based on a prior study, with the time period shortened because of the loss of patients in the earlier study’s sample.
Hatakeyama, H., Takahashi, H., Oridate, N., Kuramoto, R., Fujiwara, K., Homma, A., . . . Fukuda, S. (2015). Hangeshashinto improves the completion rate of chemoradiotherapy and the nutritional status in patients with head and neck cancer. ORL: Journal for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology and Its Related Specialties, 77, 100–108.
To investigate the effect of hangeshashinto to relieve chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis
Patients were to gargle three times daily with 2.5 g hangeshashinto (TJ-14) in 50 ml of water and rinse the oral cavity for about five seconds. Patients were instructed not to swallow it and not eat or drink anything for 30 minutes. Patients who received the intervention were compared to patients who did not. Measurements were done at baseline and at eight weeks.
No significant differences in maximum grade of mucositis or daily morphine dose existed. Oral intake and body weight were improved in those who took the hangeshashinto, but no comparative information on this measure from the control group was provided. The radiation completion rate was higher in the treated group (p = 0.045). Twenty-five percent of patients would not continue to use the gargle because of the bitter taste, nausea, vomiting, and refusal to wait 30 minutes before eating.
The findings do not show a benefit of hangeshashinto gargle on mucositis severity or associated pain.
This study did not show the effectiveness of hangeshashinto to prevent or reduce the severity of oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer receiving combined radiation and chemotherapy. Multiple report limitations are noted.
Hata, T., Honda, M., Kobayashi, M., Toyokawa, A., Tsuda, M., Tokunaga, Y., . . . Mishima, H. (2015). Effect of pH adjustment by mixing steroid for venous pain in colorectal cancer patients receiving oxaliplatin through peripheral vein: A multicenter randomized phase II study (APOLLO). Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology, 76, 1209–1215.
To evaluate whether mixing dexamethasone with an oxaliplatin intravenous infusion can reduce venous pain associated with the infusion
Patients receiving either capecitabine and oxaliplatin (CapeOX) or S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) chemotherapy were randomly assigned to the experimental or control groups. In the experimental group, 1.65 mg of dexamethasone was mixed with a 5% glucose solution in which 130 mg/m2 was dissolved. The resulting mixture was infused over two hours. Those in the control group received the same infusion without the addition of dexamethasone. Patients were evaluated over four treatment cycles.
Randomized, controlled trial
The incidence of grade 2 or greater venous pain based on the CTCAE was 33.3% in patients receiving steroids and 56% in those who did not (based on only 22 patients). The relative risk of venous pain was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.31–1.16).
Patients who received dexamethasone with oxaliplatin tended to experience less venous pain.
In this study, the incidence of severe venous pain during oxaliplatin infusion was lower with the addition of dexamethasone to the infusion. It has been suggested that mixing dexamethasone may be an option for patients with venous pain or phlebitis caused by chemotherapy. Additional research confirming the efficacy of this approach is needed.