Evaluation of the Antiemetic Activity of Bromopride in Cancer Patients Treated with I.V. CMF

Abstract

In more than 70 % of patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer with histologically positive lymph nodes, precautional therapy with CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) causes nausea and vomiting. At the present time, the optimal antiemetic therapy has not been found. From May 1983 to March 1984, 35 patients, of whom 34 were evaluable, were entered in a randomized double blind antiemetic treatment with either bromopride (16 patients), a procainamide derivative structurally similar to metoclopramide, or placebo (18 patients). Bromopride (20 mg) and the placebo were administered in a 3-min i.v. injection half an hour before chemotherapy and at 3 ½ and 7 ½ following chemotherapy. A complete antiemetic protection was obtained in 9 patients (56.3 %) treated with bromopride compared to 5 patients (27.8 %) treated with the placebo. A major antiemetic (≤ 2 vomiting episodes) was obtained in 3 patients (18.7 %) treated with bromopride compared to 5 patients (27.8 %) treated with the placebo. Statistical analysis showed a trend in favor of bromopride (P = 0.058). The most frequent side effect was sedation reported in 6 patients (37.5 %) treated with bromopride and 2 patients (11.1 %) treated with the placebo (P = 0.06). The study was interrupted when several patients presented vomiting episodes more than 12 h after CMF administration, and thus beyond the foreseeable protective effect of the antiemetic treatment. It is our opinion that the search for an optimal antiemetic regimen in the course of i.v. CMF therapy should consider the administration of antiemetic drugs at least until 12 h after chemotherapy.