[Evaluation of QOL with orally disintegrating antiemetic tablets in outpatient chemotherapy].

An investigation into the effect of orally disintegrating antiemetic tablets (ramosetron OD 0.1 mg) on 16 outpatients undergoing chemotherapy for recurrent gynecologic malignancies was carried out using a questionnaire to evaluate their quality of life (QOL). The patients were divided into 2 groups: a control group in which the patients received only an intravenous drip infusion of 0.3 mg of ramosetron on the day of their chemotherapy and a double antiemetic therapy group in which the patients were treated with orally disintegrating antiemetic tablets for 4 days in addition to the intravenous drip. When outpatient chemotherapy (paclitaxel 80 mg/m2/1 h div + CBDCA AUC 2/1 h div) was performed, a comparison was made between the 2 groups, based on the results of a QOL questionnaire for antiemetic therapy during cancer chemotherapy (Ishihara's QOL survey method). This study found a greater improvement in QOL in the double antiemetic therapy group on days 2 to 4, a period when deterioration in QOL is usually observed. These findings suggest that orally disintegrating antiemetic tablets as a measure to reduce delayed nausea and vomiting are useful for improving QOL.