Prevalence and correlates of posttreatment and anticipatory nausea and vomiting in cancer chemotherapy.

Prevalence and correlates of posttreatment and anticipatory nausea and vomiting (NV) were examined in 149 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at four treatment centres. Results of multiple regression analyses indicated that posttreatment NV was associated with treatment centre, diagnosis, drug toxicity, and frequency of antiemetic premedication. Anticipatory NV was found to be associated with age, treatment centre, drug toxicity and frequency of posttreatment NV. Eight predictor variables accounted for 49% of the variance in anticipatory NV. Variables showing significant unique effects included age, treatment centre, posttreatment NV and the age by posttreatment NV interaction. Results suggest the importance of examining environmental, psychosocial, and treatment-related variables that may differentiate treatment centres and strongly support the role of classical conditioning in the development of anticipatory NV.