Alternative Approaches for Nausea Control

Inclusion Criteria:

• Be female.
• Have a diagnosis of breast cancer, any stage.
• Be chemotherapy naïve and about to begin her first course of chemotherapy.

• Be scheduled to receive one of the following four common chemotherapy regimens with the specified antiemetic regimen. They are:

  1. Chemotherapy regimen: Doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide. Antiemetic regimen: Aprepitant + palonosetron + dexamethasone on Day 1 and aprepitant + dexamethasone on Days 2 & 3.
  2. Chemotherapy regimen: Doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide/docetaxel. Antiemetic regimen: Aprepitant + palonosetron + dexamethasone on Day 1 and aprepitant + dexamethasone on Days 2 & 3.
  3. Chemotherapy regimen: Docetaxel/carboplatin. Antiemetic regimen: Palonosetron on Day 1 + dexamethasone on Days 1, 2, & 3.
  4. Chemotherapy regimen: Docetaxel/cyclophosphamide. Antiemetic regimen: Palonosetron on Day 1 + dexamethasone on Days 1, 2, & 3.

Note: Fosaprepitant will be allowed in place of aprepitant, and either granisetron or ondansetron, on one or more days, will be allowed in place of palonosetron.

• Have a response of > 3 or greater on a question assessing expected nausea as assessed on a 5-point Likert-scale anchored at one end by 1 = "I am certain I WILL NOT have this," and at the other end by 5 = "I am certain I WILL have this."
• Be able to read English (since the assessment materials are in printed format).
• Be 18 years of age or older and give written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have clinical evidence of lymphedema, current bowel obstruction, or symptomatic brain metastases, as determined by their treating oncologist.
• Be receiving concurrent radiotherapy or interferon.