Identification of high-risk age groups for cisplatin-induced nausea and vomiting in young patients with sarcoma

Young age has been reported as a patient-related risk factor for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). However, there have been few reports of the status of CINV limited to younger patients. In this study, CINV status after cisplatin administration was investigated in young patients with sarcoma. This retrospective, observational study included patients younger than 65 years with sarcoma who received cisplatin-containing chemotherapy at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital Ariake, Japan, between January 2011 and December 2020. The evaluated endpoints were the complete response (CR) rate, defined as no emesis and no use of rescue antiemetics, and the no-vomiting rate, defined as no emesis regardless of rescue antiemetic use, in three age groups: children (< 15 years), adolescent and young adult (AYA; ≥15 to < 40 years), and middle age (MA; ≥40 to ≤ 64 years). Twenty patients in the children group, 32 in the AYA group, and 19 in the MA group were included in the analysis. CR rates overall and in the delayed phase were 20% (4/20) in the children group, 28.1% (9/32) in the AYA group, and 42.1% (8/19) in the MA group. CR rates in the acute phase were 70% (14/20) in the children group, 78.1% (25/32) in the AYA group, and 94.7% (18/19) in the MA group. No-vomiting rates overall and in the delayed phase were 50.0% (10/20) in the children group, 59.4% (19/32) in the AYA group, and 78.9% (15/19) in the MA group. No-vomiting rates in the acute phase were 95.0% (19/20) in the children group, 96.9% (31/32) in the AYA group, and 100% (19/19) in the MA group. Even in patients younger than 65 years, the risk of CINV seemed higher in younger age groups. Retrospectively registered.