Work loss and activity impairment due to extended nausea and vomiting in patients with breast cancer receiving CINV prophylaxis.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)'s impact on work loss remains poorly described. We evaluated associations between the duration of CINV episodes, CINV-related work loss (CINV-WL), and CINV-related activity impairment (CINV-AI) in patients with breast cancer receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy.

METHODS:

We analyzed data from a prospective CINV prophylaxis trial of netupitant/palonestron and dexamethasone for patients receiving an anthracycline and cyclophosphamide (AC) for breast cancer (NCT0340371). Over the observed CINV duration (0-5 days), we analyzed patient-reported CINV-WL and CINV-AI for the first two chemotherapy cycles. We categorized patients as having either extended (≥ 3 days) or short (1-2 days) CINV duration and quantified its impact on work using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI).

RESULTS:

Overall, we captured data for 792 cycles in 402 women, including 136 (33.8%) employed patients with 35.3% reporting CINV. Of those with CINV, patients reported CINV-WL in 26 cycles and CINV-AI in 142 cycles. Of those with CINV, 55.3% of extended CINV cycles experienced CINV-WL compared to 16.7% of short CINV cycles (p < 0.001). The relative risk of CINV-WL between extended and short CINV was 3.32 (p < 0.01) for employed patients. The mean difference in CINV-AI scores (higher = worse) between extended and short duration CINV was 5.0 vs. 3.0 (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION:

Extended (≥ 3 days) CINV was associated with more than triple the risk of CINV-WL and higher CINV-AI compared with short CINV.

• Authors: Lee Schwartzberg, Rudolph M Navari, Kathryn J Ruddy, Thomas W LeBlanc, Rebecca Clark-Snow, Rita Wickham, Dwight Kloth, Gary Binder, William L Bailey, Marco Turini, Ravi Potluri, Xing Liu, Eros Papademetriou, Eric J Roeland
• Journal: Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (Support Care Cancer) Vol. 31 Issue 12 Pg. 654 (Oct 25 2023) ISSN: 1433-7339 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 37878086 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2023. The Author(s).

Chemical References

• Anthracyclines

Topics

• Humans
• Female
• Breast Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Prospective Studies
• Vomiting (chemically induced, prevention & control)
• Nausea (chemically induced, prevention & control)
• Anthracyclines