The antiemetic effects of magnetotherapy plus granisetron hydrochloride versus granisetron hydrochloride in patients with chemotherapy

Objective: The aim of this study was to observe and compare the antiemetic effectiveness and adverse events of magnetotherapy plus 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT3) receptor inhibitor granisetron hydrochloride vs granisetron hydrochloride alone in patients with chemotherapy. Methods: Sixty‐four patients were randomized to receive either granisetron hydrochloride alone (control group: granisetron hydrochloride 3 mg intervenous infusion before chemotherapy, from the 1st day of chemotherapy course until the day after chemotherapy course completed) or magnetotherapy plus granisetron hydrochloride (treatment group: the same granisetron hydrochloride regimen plus rotatory magnetotherapy of 1 every day after chemotherapy for 5 begin with chemotherapy). Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. The patients' emesia was evaluated according to WHO's criteria. The density of 5‐HT3 was detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: In the treatment of acute vomiting, there was no significant difference between two groups (P > 0.05), but in the treatment of tardive vomiting, the effectiveness in treatment group was better than that in control group (P < 0.05). The density of 5‐HT 3 in treatment group and control group were (225.32 ± 57.29) ng/mL vs (213.00 ± 53.29) ng/mL before chemotherapy and (273.88 ± 75.42) ng/mL vs (313.17 ± 76.36) ng/mL after chemotherapy (P < 0.01); the rate of adverse events was 36.36% and 48.39% respectively in treatment group and control group (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Magnetotherapy plus granisetron hydrochloride provide better effectiveness than granisetron hydrochloride alone, and both therapies have synergistic effect. The adverse events didn't raised in treatment group. © 2010 Springer‐Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.