Nausea and Vomiting

The etiology of nausea and vomiting, or emesis, is often multifactorial, so an emphasis is placed on patient evaluation. Antiemetics are often receptor antagonists that target the various pathways that provide input to the vomiting center of the brain. The causes of nausea and vomiting in oncology can be classified as malignancy or treatment related. Malignancy-related nausea and vomiting often results from increased pressure on an organ system and treatments focus on alleviating the underlying cause. Cancer treatment–related nausea and vomiting can occur due to disease-modifying therapy (oral/infusional), radiation, or other medications. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting can further be classified by the time between treatment and the appearance of the symptoms.