Two groups of researchers have reported that expectations are associated with chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting (Jacobsen et al., 1988; Haut et al., 1991). Two other groups partially confirmed these findings by reporting:

• A statistically significant relationship between expectations for nausea and nausea development; but
  
• No statistically significant relationship between expectations for vomiting and subsequent vomiting (Rhodes et al., 1995; Roscoe et al., 2000).

Although sometimes contradictory, past studies generally support an association between expectations and nausea. However, they neither postulate a causal link nor test if the association might be used for therapeutic benefit.

The association between expectations and chemotherapy-induced nausea does not appear dependent on characteristics or consequences of chemotherapy treatment according to two studies reported on by Roscoe et al. (Roscoe et al., 2000). Expectations for nausea were assessed prior to first treatment in a homogeneous group of 29 subjects with ovarian cancer receiving platinum-containing chemotherapy as hospital inpatients (Study 1), and in 81 subjects with a variety of cancer diagnoses treated largely as outpatients (Study 2).

To compare and contrast findings from the two studies, click below.

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