A pilot study of adrenal suppression after dexamethasone therapy as an antiemetic in cancer patients.
Support Care Cancer
; 20(7): 1565-72, 2012 Jul.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21850416
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
Dexamethasone has a high therapeutic index when used to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. However, the chronic use of glucocorticoids has been associated with suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Therefore, the authors designed this pilot study to assess the incidence of adrenal insufficiency after dexamethasone therapy as an antiemetic in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.METHODS:
The rapid adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test was performed in 103 cancer patients, who had been treated with high-dose dexamethasone as an antiemetic for more than 3 months. When response to the rapid ACTH stimulation test was abnormal, the patient received corticosteroid replacement by prednisolone 7.5 mg daily for 1-2 weeks and after prednisolone replacement, changes in symptoms associated with adrenal insufficiency were investigated using a visual analog scale.RESULTS:
Forty-five of the 103 patients (43.7%) showed a suppressed adrenal response to the rapid ACTH stimulation test, and the incidence of adrenal suppression was found to be significantly affected by megestrol acetate use (P = 0.035). Thirty-three patients with a suppressed adrenal function achieved an improvement in quality of life after prednisolone replacement, as determined using a self-report questionnaire (22.9 ± 14.7 to 14.8 ± 11.0, P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS:
We suggest that suppression of adrenal response is common after antiemetic dexamethasone therapy in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudo:
Clinical_trials
/
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Aged80
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2012
Tipo de documento:
Article