Combination Antiemetic Therapy for Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Patients with NSCLC Receiving Carboplatin-Based Chemotherapy

Purpose: The incidence of delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving carboplatin (CBDCA)-based chemotherapy (CBDCA + pemetrexed or paclitaxel) has not been clearly described. Therefore, we attempted to evaluate whether delayed CINV could be controlled using a combination of three antiemetics and identify individual risk factors. Methods: We pooled data from two prospective observational studies, namely a nationwide survey of CINV and a prospective, observational study in Japan, to assess whether delayed CINV could be controlled using a combination of three antiemetics and identified individual risk factors via inverse probability treatment-weighted analysis. Results: In total, 240 patients were evaluable in this study (median age, 66 years; male, 173; female, 67). The three-antiemetic regimen controlled delayed nausea (31.6% vs 47.3%) and vomiting (5.1% vs 23.1%) better than two antiemetics. Younger age (<70 years; odds ratio [OR] = 2.233), motion sickness (OR = 3.472), drinking habits (OR = 1.972), receipt of the CBDCA + pemetrexed regimen (OR = 2.041), and the use of two antiemetics (OR = 1.926) were risk factors for delayed nausea. Female sex (OR = 3.372), drinking habits (OR = 2.272), receipt of the CBDCA+ pemetrexed regimen (OR = 2.314), and the use of two antiemetics (OR = 6.830) were risk factors for delayed vomiting. Conclusion: Female sex, younger age, and receipt of the CBDCA + pemetrexed regimen increased the risk of CINV. Therefore, we recommend additional supportive antiemetics treatment for these patients.