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Nausea and Vomiting Caused by Chemotherapy

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Supportive Care in Cancer Therapy

Part of the book series: Cancer Treatment and Research ((CTAR,volume 13))

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Abstract

Nausea and vomiting is a regulatory response that has evolved in higher animals to maintain the constancy of the cellular environment. Like many other homeostatic regulatory mechanisms, the principles of negative feedback apply. A sensor detects changes from the normal; the sensor signals trigger changes that continue until the normal is again achieved. Nausea and vomiting is deeply rooted in the evolutionary survival of the species and it is not surprising that it is a difficult response to suppress. Today, cancer treatment requires the use of drugs that can cause severe nausea and vomiting. The physician must also treat and study the suffering caused by his treatments. This chapter reviews the physiology of vomiting, the pharmacology of anti-emetic drugs, and the clinical use of anti-emetics.

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Authors
  1. Robert L. Drapkin
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Medical Oncology, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, 666 Elm Street, Buffalo, New York, 14263, USA

    Donald J. Higby M.D. (Head, Section of Supportive Care/Transplantation, and Associate Chief and Research Associate Professor of Medicine) (Head, Section of Supportive Care/Transplantation, and Associate Chief and Research Associate Professor of Medicine)

  2. School of Medicine, Roswell Park Division, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA

    Donald J. Higby M.D. (Head, Section of Supportive Care/Transplantation, and Associate Chief and Research Associate Professor of Medicine) (Head, Section of Supportive Care/Transplantation, and Associate Chief and Research Associate Professor of Medicine)

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© 1983 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Boston

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Drapkin, R.L. (1983). Nausea and Vomiting Caused by Chemotherapy. In: Higby, D.J. (eds) Supportive Care in Cancer Therapy. Cancer Treatment and Research, vol 13. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3864-2_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3864-2_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-3866-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-3864-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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