Written Patient Education About CINV Reduces Nausea in First-Line Chemotherapy

A nursing education intervention delivered via a pamphlet reduced severe nausea among patients undergoing chemotherapy, according to study results presented in a European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) session at ESMO Congress 2023.

Up to 80% of patients receiving chemotherapy experience chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). Some data suggests that patient empowerment can be useful in reducing CINV symptoms.

In this phase 3 randomized trial (CRO2018-012), 384 patients undergoing first-line chemotherapy between December 2018 and November 2022 at the Multidisciplinary Day Hospital of the Oncology Department at Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) in Aviano, Italy, were recruited. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive written and verbal information about CINV prevention (arm A; n=166) or verbal information alone (arm B; n=160). The written information for patients in arm A was in the form of a brochure. The primary outcomes were the difference in nausea and vomiting symptoms and Functional Leaving Index-Emesis (FLIE) questionnaire scores.

The patients in arms A and B comprised 80.7% and 78.1% women, 48.8% and 40.6% were aged 50 to 64 years, and 45.2% and 54.4% had breast cancer, respectively.

Fewer patients who received the CINV pamphlet reported a great deal of nausea (difference, −7.8%; P =.006) or had moderate or high FLIE scores (difference, −5.9%; P =.038) and more tended to report no nausea (difference, 8.2%; P =.052) compared with patients who did not receive the written materials.

These outcomes were consistent across patient subgroups.

These findings may have been limited by combining patients with different types of cancers and who were receiving different treatment regimens.

Cristina Mazzega Fabbro, MNS, of CRO in Aviano, Italy, and presenter of the study concluded, “Nurses may play a key role in patient education for prevention and management of CINV. We know that written information provided as booklet, pamphlet, or mobile phone app are crucial for patient empowerment.”

Reference

Fabbro CM, Polesel J, Puglisi F, et al. The comparison between two types of educational information in reducing nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy: randomized controlled trial. Presented at ESMO Congress 2023. October 20-24, 2023. Madrid, Spain. Abstract CN59.