Data shows disconnect between healthcare professionals and patient perceptions of impact of chemotherapy and radiotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

Norgine B.V. has presented new data highlighting a perceptual gap between healthcare professionals and patients in terms of the incidence and impact on patients' daily life of chemotherapy and radiotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV/RINV).

These data were sponsored by Norgine and presented at the joint Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) / International Society of Oral Oncology (ISOO) 2015 Annual Meeting.

The data demonstrate that physicians and oncology nurses overestimate the incidence of CINV/RINV, but underestimate the impact of the condition on patients' daily lives (p<0.05). These findings were echoed by 28% of patients who feel oncologists underestimate the impact of CINV/RINV. In addition, the incidence of nausea was shown to be greater than vomiting, with 60% of patients reporting nausea alone, compared to just 4% for vomiting and 14% for nausea and vomiting (NV). Acceptance of NV as an inevitable consequence of chemo and radiotherapy can prevent patients reporting to the healthcare professionals, in turn preventing its active management.¹

In addition, just 38% of patients reported full compliance with physicians'/nurses' guidelines when self-administering anti-emetic medication, compared with 60% estimated by physicians and nurses. Leading factors given for poor patient compliance included reluctance to add to a pill burden and fear that swallowing itself would induce nausea/vomiting.¹

Nausea and vomiting is estimated to affect 35-50% of patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy,² and previous studies have shown that treatment-induced NV has a significant impact on the quality of life in up to 40% of patients.³

Donna McVey, Chief Development Officer Norgine, commented, "The disconnect may lead to sub-optimal prescribing and therefore inadequate management of CINV/RINV and so needs to be addressed by healthcare professionals to ensure effective treatment. In addition, for some patients, it is important to reduce the pill burden and the use of orodispersible film delivery systems can improve patient compliance."

About the oral abstract presented at MASCC/ISOO 2015

Impact and management of chemotherapy / radiotherapy induced nausea and vomiting and then perceptual gap between oncologists, oncology nurses and patients: a multinational cross-sectional study¹

The study aimed to investigate the incidence and impact that chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV and RINV) has on patients' quality of life versus estimations by oncology physicians and nurses to determine if there is a perceptual gap between healthcare professionals and patients. An online research survey of oncologists, oncology nurses and patients was conducted across five European countries. Participants had experience of prescribing/recommending or having received anti-emetics for CINV/RINV treatment. The data showed the incidence of nausea was greater than vomiting with 60% of patients reporting nausea alone whereas 18% reported vomiting. Physicians/nurses overestimated the incidence of CINV/RINV, but underestimated the impact that this had on patients' daily lives. The results showed there is a perceptual gap between healthcare professionals and patients in terms of incidence and impact of CINV/RINV and this may lead to sub-optimal prescription and therefore management of.