The effect of the body fat ratio on chemotherapy induced nausea and vomitting

Cancer incidence is increasing in developed countries and nausea-vomiting is one of the most common side effects in cancer treatment. There are many factors in the development of nausea and vomiting associated with the patient and medications. Body fluids and body fat ratio may be one of the factors associated with patient and it can affect distribution of the drugs in the body compartments. In this study, we aimed to assess the effect of body fat ratio on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. 52 patients who were admitted to Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Medical Oncology Outpatient Clinic, receiving chemotherapy agents that have high emetogenic risk like cisplatin or cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin/epirubicin and have not received chemotherapy previously. Subcutaneous fat thicknesses of the patients was measured and approximate body fat percentage was calculated by the Siri method. Body fat percentage and body fluid compartments of the same patients were measured by the BCM device uses bioelectrical impedance technique. All patients received prophylactic antiemetic therapy that routinely recommended guidelines. Patients have noted the number and time of nausea/vomiting to follow-up forms in the three-week period after the first chemotherapy. No statistically significant effects of body fat ratio, body mass index and body surface area on nausea and vomiting periods after chemotherapy were observed. Similarly, no statistically significant effects of measured total body fluid and its intracellular-extracellular components on nausea and vomiting periods after chemotherapy were observed. We compared the body fat ratios measured by two different methods and found a significant correlation between them (p=0,008). Because of the small number of patients, the results may need to be validated in extended patients groups