The role of psychological variables in post-chemotherapy nausea: anxiety and expectation

Post-treatment nausea (PN) is a common side effect following cancer chemotherapy. Wide variability in PN is often evidenced among patients even within a specific drug regimen and dosage combination. Such variability might reflect the influence of psychological factors, such as anxiety and expectations for nausea, on the experience of PN. Sixty-five chemotherapy patients were studied across their initial two to four infusions. Ratings of state anxiety and PN were obtained for each infusion. Expectations for chemotherapy-related nausea were assessed prior to the initial infusion. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that state anxiety was significantly related to the experience of PN while expectations for nausea were unrelated to PN. Subanalyses indicated that the strength of the anxiety-PN relationship was inversely related to the emetic potential of the chemotherapy regimen a patient received. It was concluded that understanding of the factors that contribute to the experience of PN necessitates consideration of not only pharmacological, but psychological and physiological, factors as well.