Quality of life in patients with cancer treatment related nausea and vomiting – a scoping review
Rachel Leong, Emily MacMillan, Christina Yang, Japyjot Singh, Jefferson Chan, Carlo DeAngelis, Shing Fung Lee, Tarek Hijal, Terry Ng, Kristopher Dennis, Vassilios Vassiliou, Olivera Gojsevic, Sarah Bayrakdarian, Henry Wong, Ronald Chow, Jennifer LeighPurpose
Treatment-related nausea and vomiting (TRNV) is among the most distressing and commonly reported adverse effects of antineoplastic therapy and can significantly impair patients’ quality of life (QoL). This review summarizes the evidence on how TRNV affects QoL across cancer types, treatment regimens, antiemetic strategies, and phases of TRNV.
Recent findings
TRNV negatively affects all domains of QoL in patients with cancer, particularly physical and functional well-being. Studies consistently reported worsened fatigue, insomnia, appetite loss, pain, impaired activities of daily living, meal enjoyment, and role functioning. Psycho-social and cognitive effects were also observed, although findings were more variable. Despite advances in antiemetic interventions and supportive strategies, patients continued to experience a substantial symptom burden and worsened QoL following treatment. Most studies explored chemotherapy-related TRNV and did not focus on a specific cancer type. A wide range of QoL instruments were used, but no single tool comprehensively assessed all QoL domains while remaining specific to cancer-related nausea and vomiting.
Summary
TRNV is associated with a significant decline in QoL among patients with cancer. Further research on QoL after TRNV within specific cancer types and treatment modalities and the development of a more comprehensive QoL tool are needed to improve cross-study comparability and to better understand patient outcomes.