Prevalence of anticipatory nausea and emesis in cancer chemotherapy patients.

The prevalence of anticipatory nausea (AN) and anticipatory emesis (AE) in 71 cancer chemotherapy outpatients was measured by a self-report questionnaire. An 18.3% prevalence rate was found, with a mean onset of 5.12 hr prior to treatment. AN/AE most typically occurred at home or while traveling to the clinic and those who experienced it also reported a significantly higher frequency of posttreatment nausea, vomiting, constipation, and dry and itching skin.