Platinum-induced nausea and vomiting in patients treated for head and neck cancer

Swallowing difficulties in patients with advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) represent an obstacle to adequate antiemetic prophylaxis before chemotherapy. We aim to assess chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) risk in HNC patients in our center, with a specific focus among patients who could not receive appropriate NK1 receptor antagonist (NK1-RA) prophylaxis.

Prospective observational monocentric study. CINV were evaluated with the MASCC Antiemesis Tool self-questionnaire (MAT) for all patients treated by platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced HNC (January-April 2019), thereafter, only for patients without NK1-RA prophylaxis due to swallowing difficulties were included (May-October 2019).

Sixty-one patients were included (82% male, 49.2% reccurent/metastatic disease), 18 did not received NK1-RA prophylaxis due to swallowing difficulties. Among 52 patients included from January to April 2019, 17.3% reported swallowing difficulties. The chemotherapy regimen was highly and moderately emetic for 40 (65.6%) and 21 patients (34.4%), respectively. CINV was associated with both cisplatin-based chemotherapy (OR 10.66, 95% CI [2.17-52.08]) and exclusive chemotherapy (OR 7.76, 95% CI [1.79-33.78]). Patients who did not receive anti-NK1 prophylaxis had no more CINV than patients with adequate CINV prophylaxis.

CINV remains frequent in patients treated by platinum-based chemotherapy for HNC. Oral NK1-RA prophylaxis can be unavailable because of swallowing difficulties, without an increased risk of CINV.