Tropisetron (Navoban(R)) in the Control of Nausea and Vomiting Induced by Combined Cancer Chemotherapy in Children

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the potency and efficacy of tropisetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, in the prevention of nausea and emesis observed in the pediatric patient population taking various chemotherapy protocols. METHODS: Tropisetron (Navoban) was given to 100 children (62 boys and 38 girls aged 6 months to 15 years) with various malignancies. Patients received tropisetron during one or more courses of emetogenic chemotherapy for a total of 350 courses administered intravenously or intravenously and intrathecally. Tropisetron (0.2 mg/kg/day, maximum: 5 mg/day) was administered as a single intravenous dose slowly, before the start of chemotherapy on day 1 and intravenously or by mouth on subsequent days (median treatment duration: 5 days). RESULTS: The patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy had a 70% complete response rate and a 24% partial response rate during the first 24 h period of the first course. We observed headache (five courses), diarrhea (three courses) and loss of appetite (one course) as side-effects (2.5%). CONCLUSION: Tropisetron is safe, effective, easy to use, has no serious side-effects and can be recommended for pediatric patients. The efficacy of tropisetron may be enhanced by the addition of corticosteroids in patients receiving highly emetogenic cancer chemotherapy.