Ovarian Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ovarian Cancer, including details on symptoms, causes, treatment, information.

Effect of chemotherapy on circulating gastrointestinal hormone levels in ovarian cancer patients: relationship to nausea and vomiting.

Hursti TJ, Börjeson S, Hellström PM, Avall-Lundqvist E, Stock S, Steineck G, Peterson C

Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. timo.hursti@psyk.uu.se

OBJECTIVE: The introduction of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists greatly reduced the problems associated with nausea and vomiting immediately after cancer chemotherapy. However, delayed nausea and vomiting is still a major problem and the underlying mechanism is obscure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied the effect of cisplatin-containing combination chemotherapy in 14 ovarian cancer patients on the levels of gastrin and a panel of other hormones as well as glucose and prostaglandin F2a. Blood samples were obtained once daily in the morning before chemotherapy and for 4 days after chemotherapy. RESULTS: Concentrations of many hormones including gastrin were generally high. A pronounced increase in plasma insulin levels occurred on the day after chemotherapy accompanied by a modest increase in plasma glucose concentrations. Minor increases were observed for gastrin, oxytocin and prostaglandin F2a. In contrast, a transient decrease after chemotherapy was observed for motilin. Plasma cortisol decreased markedly after chemotherapy as expected since betamethasone was given as an antiemetic prophylaxis. Certain trends concerning the relationship between some hormones and nausea and vomiting were noted. A high plasma gastrin concentration before chemotherapy was related to delayed vomiting. Relative day-to-day variability of cholecystokinin tended to correlate positively with delayed nausea, whereas an inverse relationship was observed for gastrin variability. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in hormone plasma levels were found but only few could be distinguished as possible mediators of delayed nausea and vomiting.

Published 22 July 2005 in Scand J Gastroenterol, 40(6): 654-61.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Ovarian Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.