Palliative care of nausea and vomiting in patients with cancer.

Nausea and vomiting are among the most frequent and distressing symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract in patients with advanced cancer. Reports of its prevalence suggest that nausea occurs in 60% of terminal cancer patients whereas vomiting is less common, occurring in approximately 30% of the patients. Nausea and vomiting are of clinical significance in that they add to the adverseness of the terminal cancer stage, they indicate high levels of stress and anxiety for the patient and may directly interfere with life by compromising the patient through nutritional debilitation and metabolic derangement. Nausea and vomiting are significant concerns in terminal cancer patients and, according to this review, their optimal manage- miting, antiemetics, management ment can be critical to the patient s physical and emotional well being.

Keywords: Palliative care, nausea, vomiting, antiemetics, management