[Antiemetic prophylaxis in the chemotherapy of gastrointestinal tumours]

Systemic treatment options in gastrointestinal malignancies have increased markedly. At the same time, the need for supportive measures has become more complex. Nausea and vomiting continue to impair the patients' quality of life and to jeopardise the goals of chemotherapy. Antiemetic strategies as proposed by treatment guidelines should be employed consistently in daily clinical practice. Deficits in cancer care exist in this area. In addition, newly available antiemetic drugs should be considered. Aprepitant is the first approved representative of a new drug class. Aprepitant inhibits substance P binding to the neurokinin-1-receptor. Given orally on the first three days of a cisplatin-based chemotherapy in combination with a standard antiemetic regimen, aprepitant proved to be significantly more effective in the prevention of nausea and vomiting compared to the standard regimen without aprepitant. Recently presented results for chemotherapy with moderate emetogenic risks indicate that aprepitant shows superior effectiveness even in this setting. Palonosetron is a new drug in the class of 5-HT (3) (serotonin) receptor antagonists. Compared to older setrones, palonosetron exhibits a higher receptor binding activity, a longer half life, and a slightly improved activity in the prevention of nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy with moderate emetogenic risks. The implementation of standardised treatment guidelines into clinical practice will contribute to a higher patient satisfaction and a more effective utilisation of economic resources.