Randomized, Multicenter Comparison of Oral Granisetron and Oral Ondansetron for Emetogenic Chemotherapy

Study Objectives. To compare the antiemetic effectiveness and safety of oral granisetron plus dexamethasone with those of oral ondansetron plus dexamethasone administered before emetogenic chemotherapy. Design. Randomized, prospective, multicenter, open-label study. Settings. University-teaching hospital and veterans health care system. Patients. Sixty-one chemotherapy-naive patients scheduled to receive emetogenic antineoplastic agents. Intervention. A single-dose oral granisetron 1 mg and dexamethasone 12 mg or single-dose oral ondansetron 16 mg and dexamethasone 12 mg was administered before chemotherapy. Measurements and Results. Twenty-four hours after administration patients were contacted to assess nausea, emesis, and adverse events. There were no statistical differences in frequency of nausea or emesis between groups. Seventy-six percent and 82% of patients receiving ondansetron and granisetron, respectively, experienced no emesis 24 hours after chemotherapy. Complete protection from nausea occurred in 58% and 46% of patients receiving the drugs, respectively. Adverse events were similar between groups. Conclusion. Oral granisetron 1 mg and ondansetron 16 mg plus dexamethasone are safe and effective in preventing nausea and vomiting related to emetogenic chemotherapy.