PURPOSE
Tropisetron, a new specific 5-hydroxytryptamine3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonist, is an effective antiemetic agent in the control of chemotherapy induced emesis with a long half life and bioavailablity. We compared the efficacy and safefy of Tropisetron and ondansetron to control emesis induced by highly emetogenic chemotherapeutics (cisplatin > or = 50 mg/m(2)).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty-one patients were administered in a randomized, open, crossover study and received either tropisetron plus dexamethasone or ondansetron plus dexamethasone during two successive cycles of chemotherapy.
RESULTS
Control of acute emesis with either tropisetron or ondansetron was 100% vs 95.2%, and 80.9% vs 76.2% in control of delayed emesis. Both severity and duration of nausea showed no statistically significant difference between tropisetron and ondansetron. Poor appetite and headache were most common side effects in both groups.
CONCLUSION
There was no significant difference in efficacy for control of emesis and nausea between tropisetron and ondansetron in cisplatin-based chemotherapy.