Randomized Trial Comparing Two Short Courses of Moderate-Dose Metoclopramide for Moderate-Dose Cisplatin-Induced Emesis

To better define the dose-response relationship of moderate-dose (MD) metoclopramide (MCP), 42 patients receiving their first course of cisplatin (50 mg/m2) were randomly allocated to receive a short-course regimen of MCP, either at 1 mg/kg × 1 dose, 30 min before cisplatin (regimen A) or 1 mg/kg × 2 doses, 30 min before and 1 h after cisplatin (regimen B). The antiemetic response was assessed only by objective means (duration and volume of emesis over a 6-hour period). The results obtained in the two groups show a significantly better antiemetic effect (p = 0.03) employing the higher dose of this short-course regimen, with as much as 76% of the patients experiencing no vomiting or only a low degree of emesis. Furthermore, the lower-dose MCP regimen seems to be inadequate for preventing emesis, especially in the subgroups at higher emetic risk (patients with prior chemotherapy exposure and those concurrently receiving adriamycin. No significant side effects were present with either treatment. Further studies are required to define the best short-course regimen of MCP for patients receiving MD cisplatin.