Introduction
Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) are one of the most feared cancer treatment procedures due to its severe side effects (Cohen, Moor, Eisenberg, Ming, and Hu 497). The treatment is classified as an anticipatory because it is a conditioned response. This means that an individual undergoing CINV is exposed to some stimuli (Navari 98). The chemotherapy effects on the patient can be of a high, medium, or low risk of emetogenicity, depending on the degree the patient is exposed to the chemotherapy process and the associated effects witnessed in the body functioning processes (Hesketh 2482).
Series of research studies on effective cancer treatment implies that the incidence and timing of CINV are influenced by factors that are related to the chemotherapeutic agent and the patient factors. These studies further show that the incidence of nausea is more common compared to cases of actual vomiting during the chemotherapy session. In recent years, patients suffering from acute, chronic diseases such as cancer have been forced to undergo chemotherapy (FOLFOX), which is known to have a severe impact on the patient, such as increases nausea and vomiting aspects. This research paper will attempt to examine the chemotherapy (FOLFOX) and how this form of treatment increases the chances of a patient feeling nausea or vomiting.
Background of the Study
With cancer today is regarded as one the most adverse illness claiming thousands of lives on a daily basis, extensive research studies are necessary to help address some of the common issues associated with the disease (Navari 89). Specifically, there is a need to carry out a scientific research study to explore into details the associated effects of cancer chemotherapy. With issues such as severe nausea and vomiting being associated with chemotherapy treatment, there is a need for such research studies to show alternative medicines that are effective in reducing the above effects.
This research study will, therefore, explore into detail the issue of chemotherapy (FOLFOX) and how the above process increases the chances of a patient feeling nausea or even vomiting. The body reaction of patients who have gastric cancer will be observed for 11 weeks when they are under conventional medicine as the control experiment.
Another crucial observation will be in patients suffering from the same disease, gastric cancer, but undergoing other forms of treatment that are alternative to the conventional medicine provided to the initial group of patients. Since the primary goal of this study is to observe the group of patients who will show fewer cases of nausea and vomiting, there will be an analysis and comparison of the effectiveness of either the conventional medicine or the alternative medicine in controlling nausea and victims among the gastric cancer patients. The above research study will take approximately 11 weeks when the two groups of the patients would be observed so as to obtain adequate observational data that is crucial in the analysis process.
Significance of the Study
Cancer is today one of the leading diseases claiming lives of many people in the modern society. Despite much effort having been put in place to help in controlling the prevalence of the disease, such as the introduction of chemotherapy sessions, less emphasis has been put in place to help understand the adverse effects of chemotherapy sessions. Vomiting and nausea are the serious side effects that cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy sessions have to deal with (Dwek, Rixon, Simon, Hurt, and Newman 47).
The fact that this research study will address the issues related to effects of chemotherapy session among gastric cancer patients is an indication that the findings may provide relevant information concerning cancer disease and treatment in general. Specifically, this research study will address the effects of both conventional medicine and alternative medicine used in chemotherapeutic diagnosis to the patients. The gathered data may be instrumental to the medical practitioners and patients in understanding the various health effects associated with different types of cancer medicine. Besides, patients would have alternatives in selecting the appropriate treatment choice that would minimize nausea and vomiting in managing gastric cancer.
Problem Statement
An extensive past research literature has indicated that chemotherapy plays a vital role in reducing the prevalence of cancer disease. According to (Sharma, Tobin, and Clarke 93), chemotherapy is the only known possible method that can denature cancer cells to extend the lifespan of cancer patients. However, limited information is available concerning the effects of some of the medications used in chemotherapy process, which is associated with modification of the body cells resulting organs dysfunction. In fact, little research has discussed the side effects of chemotherapy such as vomiting and nausea and how they can be managed or minimized.
Purpose of the Study
This study will aim to prove that chemotherapy has its associated effects. In particular, the study aims at revealing how some of the common medications used in treating cancer enhance the side effects such as vomiting or feeling nausea.
Research Question
- Does alternative medicine assist in controlling vomiting and nausea effects among gastric cancer patients?
Research Hypothesis
- H1 (Null Hypothesis): Alternative medicine significantly controls vomiting and nausea issues among gastric cancer patients.
- H2 (alternative hypothesis): There is the insignificant effect of alternative medication in controlling vomiting and nausea among gastric cancer patients.
Variables
The research study will adopt the quantitative approach in which the number of gastric patients who vomited or felt some degree of nausea after taking the alternative medication would be identified. The choice of quantitative approach was influenced by the multidimensional nature of this research (Yin 45). The following will, therefore, be the overall mathematical formula which will be used in conducting the above research study: Y= BIX
- Where Y (dependent variable) = Number of patients who vomited and suffered from nausea after or during treatment
- B1= Coefficient related to the alternative medicine
- X1(independent variable) = Alternative medicine was taken
Works Cited
Cohen, Lorenzo, Carl Moor, Peter Eisenberg, Eileen Ming, and Henry Hu. “Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting-Incidence and Impact on Patient Quality of Life at Community Oncology Settings.” Supportive Care in Cancer, vol. 15, no. 5, 2007, pp. 497-503.
Dwek, Marie-Rose, Lorna Rixon, Alice Simon, Cahterine Hurt, and Stanton Newman. “Examining the Effects of Adjuvant Chemotherapy on Cognition and the Impact of Any Cognitive Impairment on Quality of Life in Colorectal Cancer Patients: Study Protocol.” BMC Psychology, vol. 3, no. 4, 2015, pp. 43-56.
Hesketh, Paul. “Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 358, no. 23, 2008, pp. 2482-2494.
Navari, Rudolph. “Pathogenesis-Based Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting–Two New Agents.” The Journal of Supportive Oncology, vol. 1, no. 2, 2002, pp. 89-103.
Sharma, Rohini, Peter Tobin, and Stephen Clarke.”Management of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea, Vomiting, Oral Mucositis, and Diarrhoea.” The Lancet Oncology, vol. 6, no. 2, 2005, pp. 93-102.
Yin, Ronald. Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Sage, 2013.