PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the pattern of changes on the score of nausea/vomiting and anxiety during one cycle of chemotherapy. METHOD: A total of 53 subjects who were admitted to C University Hospital for a period of 3 days and 2 nights for chemotherapy were selected from February to April, 2003. Total scores of nausea/vomiting were measured twice a day 3 days for a total of 6 measurements. Anxiety, anorexia, and fatigue were also measured at the first and last measurement points. Data were analyzed by one-way repeated measures, ANOVA, t-test, paired t-test, & Pearson's correlation. RESULT: The score of nausea/vomiting increased over time except for the 4th measurement point but no changes were significant over time. There were the significant differences between 1st and 2nd, and 2nd and 3rd nausea/vomiting score at p < 0.05. The scores of anxiety, anorexia, and fatigue between the first and 6th points were significantly different(t=-5.69, p=.001; t=6.25, p=.0001; t=3.65, p=.0007). CONCLUSION: Further studies are needed to identify the relationship between anxiety, and anticipatory and acute nausea/vomiting respectively.
Anorexia ; Anxiety* ; Drug Therapy* ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Nausea ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot on nausea vomiting and anorexia in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. METHOD: Study subjects were 30 patients who had experienced nausea and vomiting when they had been hospitalized in K university hospital located in D city after receiving more than two Cisplatin combination chemotherapy treatments. Among them 15 patients were in the experimental group doing aroma oil inhalation and the other 15 patients were in the control group without aroma oil inhalation. The data were collected from February 1, 2002 to May 17, 2002. The data were analyzed with SPSS WIN 10.0 program using frequency, percentage, chi-square-test, t-test, Repeated Measures ANOVA. RESULTS: 1) The degree of nausea and vomiting in the experimental group with aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot were significantly lower than that of the control group. 2) The degree of anorexia in the experimental group with aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot were significantly lower than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: aroma oil inhalation was effective for relieving patients' nausea vomiting and anorexia receiving chemotherapy. Therefore, it is proposed that aroma oil inhalation should be applied as a supportive nursing arbitration method to relieve patients' nausea vomiting and anorexia who are receiving chemotherapy.
Anorexia* ; Cisplatin ; Drug Therapy* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Inhalation* ; Mentha piperita ; Nausea* ; Negotiating ; Nursing ; Vomiting*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot on nausea vomiting and anorexia in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. METHOD: Study subjects were 30 patients who had experienced nausea and vomiting when they had been hospitalized in K university hospital located in D city after receiving more than two Cisplatin combination chemotherapy treatments. Among them 15 patients were in the experimental group doing aroma oil inhalation and the other 15 patients were in the control group without aroma oil inhalation. The data were collected from February 1, 2002 to May 17, 2002. The data were analyzed with SPSS WIN 10.0 program using frequency, percentage, chi-square-test, t-test, Repeated Measures ANOVA. RESULTS: 1) The degree of nausea and vomiting in the experimental group with aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot were significantly lower than that of the control group. 2) The degree of anorexia in the experimental group with aroma oil inhalation using peppermint and bergamot were significantly lower than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: aroma oil inhalation was effective for relieving patients' nausea vomiting and anorexia receiving chemotherapy. Therefore, it is proposed that aroma oil inhalation should be applied as a supportive nursing arbitration method to relieve patients' nausea vomiting and anorexia who are receiving chemotherapy.
Anorexia* ; Cisplatin ; Drug Therapy* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Inhalation* ; Mentha piperita ; Nausea* ; Negotiating ; Nursing ; Vomiting*

The purpose of this study was to produce proper nutrition and foodservice through positive intervention for diet-refusal patients who has difficulties in adaptation to hospital diet, and to contribute to hospital management with the focus of fast recovery. The survey was conducted using questionnaires between July 18 and August 17, 2000. The subjects were consisted of 24 diet-refusal patients who were hospitalized in St. Mary's Hospital except the patients hospitalized for the purpose of operation or pre-therapy tests. Also chart reviews were conducted. The statistical analysis of data was done by SAS/win 6.11 package to determine descriptive analysis and paired t-test and Pearson's correlation. The summary of study results is as follows : 1. Most of the subjects was receiving chemotherapy. The leading place for offering private food was from patient's home. Subjects worried about delayed recovery from illness due to nutritional problems caused by extreme fasting. The problems were in order of anorexia, nausea and vomiting during therapy process. 52.4% of subjects ate hospital diet after positive intervention. 2. Major reasons of hospital diet-refusal patients' dissatisfation were in order of expeness, dissatisfation, serum total protein levels were significantly lower(p<.05). 3. Serum Alb(p<.05), Hb(p<.05), Hct(p<.05) and TLC(p<.001) levels showed significantly negative correlations with fasting duration. With these results, it is concluded that a major cause of malnutrition among patients is to last fasting.
Anorexia ; Diet* ; Disulfiram* ; Drug Therapy ; Fasting ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Nausea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study evaluated the use and efficacy of chronic oral etoposide plus tamoxifen as a palliative treatment in 30 patients with far-advanced HCC in whom surgical resection, percutaneous ethanol injection or transarterial chemoembolization(TACE) was not possible. METHODS: To be eligible for the study, patients had to have objectively measurable or evaluable tumors, adequate hematologic profiles and hepatorenal functions, had to be between 20 and 75 years of age, and had to have an ECOG performance status of less than or equal to 2. The treatment included etoposide, 50 mg/m2/day, taken orally for 21 days, and tamoxifen, 40 mg/day, taken orally for 21 days. Each cycle was repeated every 5 weeks. RESULTS: Two patients(7%) achieved a partial response(PR) and 16 patients(53%) achieved a stable disease(SD) with a median time-to-progression of 5 months(range: 2-24). Median of patients survival with the response of PR or SD and those patients with the response of progressive disease(PD) was 10 months and 7 months, respectively(p=0.0004). Of the 20 patients with initial elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein(> or =500 ng/ml), 9 patients(45%) experienced a significant(> or =50%) decrease in their values after chemotherapy and all 9 patients achieved objective tumor response of more than or equal to SD. Among the 30 patients in the study, 10 patients(33%) achieved performance status improvements of grade according to the ECOG criteria and 6 patients(20%) experienced improvements of subjective symptoms, such as abdominal pain, abdominal fullness and anorexia. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, the use of chronic oral etoposide plus tamoxifen as a palliative treatment for the far-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma are beneficial. A randomized two-arm study may be warranted to validate the results of this study.
Abdominal Pain ; Anorexia ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Drug Therapy ; Ethanol ; Etoposide* ; Humans ; Palliative Care ; Tamoxifen*

PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine the efficacy and safety of FOLFOX-4 chemotherapy as a salvage treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The AGC patients with an ECOG performance status of 0~1 and progressive disease after prior treatments were registered onto this phase II trial. The patients received oxaliplatin (85 mg/m2 on day 1), leucovorin (200 mg/m2 on days 1 and 2) and 5-fluorouracil (400 mg/m2 as a bolus and 600 mg/m2 as a 22-hour infusion on days 1 and 2) every 2 weeks. RESULTS: For the 42 treated patients, a total of 228 chemotherapy cycles (median: 5, range: 1~12) were administered. Twenty-nine patients (69%) received FOLFOX-4 chemotherapy as a third-(50%) or fourth-line (19%) treatment. On the intent-to-treat analysis, 9 patients (21%) achieved a partial response, which was maintained for 4.6 months. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 3.0 months and 6.2 months, respectively. The frequently encountered toxicities were neutropenia and gastrointestinal side effects, including anorexia. Although there was one possible treatment-related death, the toxicity profiles were generally predictable and manageable. CONCLUSION: Salvage chemotherapy with FOLFOX-4 is an effective and tolerable regimen for those heavily pretreated AGC patients who have a good performance status.
Anorexia ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Leucovorin ; Neutropenia ; Organoplatinum Compounds ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the changing patterns of nausea, vomiting, anorexia and calorie intake. To examine the influence of those variables on the nutritional status of the cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. METHOD: To assess nutritional status, anthropometry and blood test were performed on 94 stomach cancer patients receiving postoperational chemotherapy on the daily basis. NVA and calorie intake were measured during chemotherapy. RESULT: 93% of subjects had low level of hemoglobin and 45.7% was below the lymphocyte count. 57% of subjects lost 10% of usual weight. The value of anthropometry was reduced but the difference between pre- and post-chemotherapy did not reach any statistical significance. 27% of subjects was grouped into the malnutritional state. During chemotherapy, the higher the degree of NVA, the less calorie intake. The significant predictors for nutritional status were nausea and calorie intake. CONCLUSION: The chemotherapy affected the food intake of cancer patients through NVA. Though the influence of chemotherapy on anthropopmetry was not significant in this research, nausea and food intake were the most affecting factors for nutrition of cancer patients. Therefore we need to assess nutritional status and support for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and to develop an intervention for improvement of symptoms and food intake.
Anorexia ; Anthropometry ; Drug Therapy* ; Eating ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Count ; Nausea ; Nutritional Status* ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Vomiting

A clinical observation was made on the patients with Wilms' tumor admitted to the Yonsei University Hospital during the period from January, 1974 to December, 1981. 1. Age distribution was between 5 months to 76/12 years, the highest incidence rate was in the age group of 12 to 24 months. 2. Mass in abdomen was the most common symptom occurred in 63.2%, gross hematuria in 31.6%, abdominal distention and anorexia in 20.1% each and the others. 3. Left to right ratio was 1.7:1 and simultaneous bilateral tumor was not observed. 4. On I.V.P., 47.4% of cases revealed nonfunctioning kidney. Right renal deformity or displacement was observed in 42.1%, calcification in the tumor mass in 10.5%. 5. On treatment of Wilms' tumor, surgery, irradiation and chemotherapy was performed on 11 cases, surgery and post-op, chemotherapy 4 cases, surgery only 2 cases and irradiation and chemotherapy only 1 case each.
Abdomen ; Age Distribution ; Anorexia ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Drug Therapy ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Wilms Tumor*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence and self-care practice for nausea/vomiting in patients with cancer during chemotherapy. METHOD: The participants were 100 patients with cancer over 20 years of age who visited the outpatient department or were hospitalized for chemotherapy. Self-care in the case of nausea and vomiting was measured by the Dodd's scale. Data were analyzed using the SAS program and the following statistics were used frequency, percentage, unpaired t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The ratio of the occurrence of nausea/ vomiting in the participants was 70.0%. The incidence of nausea/ vomiting was significantly higher for women than for men. The incidence of nausea/ vomiting was also higher for patients with cancer not in the gastro-intestinal system (GIS) compared to that for patients with GIS cancer. The incidence of nausea/ vomiting positively correlated with anorexia, skin injury, and fatigue. CONCLUSION: The ratio of occurrence of nausea/ vomiting for the participants was 70.0%. The incidence of nausea/ vomiting was higher for women and patients with cancer not in the GIS. The incidence of nausea/ vomiting positively correlated with anorexia, skin injury, and fatigue. The results indicate that nausea/vomiting is a frequent symptom, particularly in women and there is a need to provide interventions to decrease the effects of this symptom.
Anorexia ; Drug Therapy* ; Fatigue ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Nausea ; Outpatients ; Self Care* ; Skin ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between anorexia, nausea, and vomiting (ANV) and food intake patterns in patients with cancer on chemotherapy. METHOD: Ninety-one patients from a university hospital in Seoul were recruited and were asked to record food intake and ANV during one cycle of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Caloric and protein intake decreased significantly. The mean caloric intake was 808.75 Kcal (SD=177.54), 48.2% of the recommended intake and the mean of protein intake was 28.44 g (SD=16.44) only 34.7% of the recommended intake. The mean score for dietary diversity was 3.57 (SD=.73) indicating that the patients had taken 3 or more of the 5 food groups. ANV had a significant negative correlation with caloric and protein intake and dietary diversity (r=-.29~-.56, P<.05) and dietary diversity had a significant positive correlation with caloric and protein intake (r=.46 and .57, P=.000). CONCLUSION: Patients receiving chemotherapy had a very poor intake that could lead to malnutrition and a compromised immune system. These findings suggest the need to develop interventions that encourage for food intake.
Anorexia* ; Drug Therapy* ; Eating* ; Energy Intake ; Humans ; Immune System ; Malnutrition ; Nausea* ; Seoul ; Vomiting*