abstract:
Nausea as a sentinel symptom for cytotoxic chemotherapy effects on the gut-brain axis among women receiving treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer: an exploratory analysis
PURPOSE:
Nausea is a common and potentially serious effect of cytotoxic chemotherapy for recurrent ovarian cancer
and may function as a sentinel symptom reflecting adverse effects on
the gut-brain axis (GBA) more generally, but research is scant. As a
first exploratory test of this GBA hypothesis, we compared women
reporting nausea to women not reporting nausea with regard to the
severity of other commonly reported symptoms in this patient population.
METHODS:
A secondary analysis of data systematically collected from women in active chemotherapy treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer
(n = 158) was conducted. The Symptom Representation Questionnaire (SRQ)
provided severity ratings for 22 common symptoms related to cancer
and chemotherapy. Independent sample t tests and regression analyses
were used to compare women with and without nausea with regard to their
experience of other symptoms.
RESULTS:
Nausea
was reported by 89 (56.2 %) women. Symptoms that were significantly
associated with nausea in bivariate and regression analyses included
abdominal bloating, bowel disturbances, dizziness, depression,
drowsiness, fatigue, headache, lack of appetite, memory problems, mood
swings, shortness of breath, pain, sleep disturbance, urinary problems,
vomiting, and weight loss. Symptoms that were not associated with nausea
included hair loss, numbness and tingling, sexuality concerns, and
weight gain.
CONCLUSIONS:
Nausea experienced during chemotherapy for recurrent ovarian cancer
may be an indicator of broader effects on the gut-brain axis. A better
understanding of the mechanisms underlying these effects could lead to
the development of novel supportive therapies to increase the
tolerability and effectiveness of cancer treatment.
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