Boccia, R.V., Gordan, L.N., Clark, G., Howell, J.D., & Grunberg, S.M. (2010). Efficacy and tolerability of transdermal granisetron for the control of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting associated with moderately and highly emetogenic multi-day chemotherapy: A randomized, double-blind, phase III study. Supportive Care in Cancer, 19, 1609–1617.
To compare the efficacy and tolerability of the granisetron transdermal delivery system (GTDS) to daily oral granisetron for the control of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)
Patients were randomized to oral (2 mg per day for 3–5 days) or transdermal (one GTDS patch over 7 days) granisetron before receiving multiday chemotherapy. Patients received placebo capsules or capsules according to group assignment. Corticosteroids and rescue medications were given at the discretion of the investigator. Patients were followed for 14 days after chemotherapy.
The study was conducted at multiple sites in Europe, the United States, Mexico, and India.
This was a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.
Patients recorded the following in diaries daily.
Complete control (CC) was defined as no vomiting or retching, no more than mild nausea, and no use of rescue medication from the first administration until 24 hours after the last administration of chemotherapy.
The GTDS provided effective, well-tolerated control of CINV associated with moderately or highly emetogenic, multiday chemotherapy.
GTDS could be an option for CINV from multiday chemotherapy regimens. Further research to determine the role of this approach within an overall antiemetic regimen is warranted.