[Antiemetic efficacy of granisetron in the treatment of pediatric cancer--(1). Clinical evaluation of granisetron at a dose of 40 micrograms/kg].

Seventeen children with various types of cancer were studied on the effectiveness of antiemetic drug, granisetron, by a crossover randomized trial; receiving granisetron (40 micrograms/kg; n = 53) or conventional antiemetics, during intensive chemotherapy. In the patients given granisetron nausea and vomiting were well controlled (83.0%), compared with 33.3% of conventional (non granisetron) group. The mean number of vomiting episodes for each 6h-period over 24h after chemotherapy was reduced markedly in the patients given granisetron, compared with conventional therapy. One patient developed paraesthesia of the hand after injection of granisetron as the adverse effect, which recovered to normal spontaneously after 3 hrs. Our data indicated that antiemetic effect of granisetron was superior to conventional antiemetic drugs, both in terms of clinical effectiveness and usefulness.