Objective: To explore prodromes of chemotherapy-induced vomiting (CIV) and their association with CIV in lung cancer patients.
Methods: The prodromes of CIV in 250 lung cancer patients were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to determine the symptoms most likely correlated with CIV. One hundred fifty-seven patients received medical interventions. The development of correlative symptoms and occurrence of CIV between the intervention and non-intervention groups was analyzed.
Results: Among the 250 patients with the prodromes of CIV, the incidence rate of CIV was 67.2%. Logistic regression indicated that nausea, constipation, insomnia, hiccups, anorexia, and history of drinking were correlated with CIV (P < 0.05 for all). Among the 20 symptoms observed in this study, the incidence rates of relatively common symptoms were nausea (72.0%), anorexia (68.4%), taste changes (48.8%), constipation (45.6%), abdominal distension (45.6%), stomach distension(40.4%), and insomnia (40.0%). The incidence rats of all symptoms except hiccups before and after intervention had significant difference (P < 0.05 for all). The incidence rates of CIV were 30.0% in the intervention group and 50.6% in the non-intervention group, with a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.009).
Conclusions: Prodromes of CIV are closely related to the occurrence of CIV. Timely intervention for prodromes of CIV can reduce the incidence rate of CIV during chemotherapy in lung cancer patients.