[Relationship between neurotransmitter blood noradrenalin and nausea/emesis after chemotherapy for lung cancer].

A clinical study was conducted to investigate the relationship between nausea/emesis after chemotherapy for lung cancer (docetaxel 60 mg/m(2), cisplatin 80 mg/m(2)) and blood serotonin (S), blood catecholamine (adrenaline) (A), noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (D) in effective and non-effective patients treated with anti-emetic agents. All 37 patients received preventive combination administration of granisetron (GR) 3 mg, methylprednisolone 500 mg and metoclopramide (ME) 40 mg immediately before chemotherapy, followed by GR 3 mg and ME 40 mg on Day 2 and 3. Sixteen patients who were classified as emotionally unstable according to the YG character test additionally received prochlorperazine 15 mg thrice daily starting after their last meal prior to chemotherapy, until nausea/emesis disappeared. Blood concentration was measured on the day before chemotherapy and on Day 2, 4, and 14 after administration of the anticancer agents. As a result, a significant difference was demonstrated for NA on the day before chemotherapy (p<0.05), NA on Day 14 (p<0.01) and D on Day 14 (p<0.01) between effective and non-effective patients receiving anti-emetic treatment. In addition to conventional neurotransmitters S and D, NA is also worthy of attention in connection with nausea/emesis.