Assessment of nausea and vomiting in cancer patients undergoing external beam radiotherapy

Abstract

This article presents the results of an exploratory pilot survey investigating the phenomenon of radiation-related nausea and vomiting. Twenty-four patients receiving treatment to their trunk region were interviewed prior to and following their course of radiation therapy. Five variables were studied in regards to their relationship to radiation-related emesis. They included characteristics of nausea and vomiting itself, the type and extent of disease, specific radiotherapy variables, nutritional status, and psychological factors. Significant results included the following: patients being treated for recurrent disease experienced more nausea and vomiting (P = 0.03), and patients who received treatment of either short or long duration reported more reduction in appetite (P = 0.05). Implications for nursing practice are delineated as a result of study findings.