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Table 1 Main results of the systematic literature review

From: The use of olanzapine as an antiemetic in palliative medicine: a systematic review of the literature

Article

Type of study

Population

Results

Licup and Baumrucker, 2010 [26]

Literature review

Articles on the use of olanzapine as an antiemetic

N = 4

2 articles on the use for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

2 articles on olanzapine in a palliative care setting

Effective treatment

No side effect reported

Fonte et al, 2015 [10]

Literature review

Article on the use of olanzapine as an antiemetic

N = 22

15 articles on the use of olanzapine for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

7 articles on olanzapine in a palliative care setting

Effective treatment

No significant side effects, except sleepiness reported in some studies

Felton et al, 2016 [27]

Literature review

Articles on the use of olanzapine in a palliative care population

N = 12

2 articles on olanzapine for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

2 articles on olanzapine in a palliative care setting

The other articles are on other indications

Effective treatment

No side effect reported

Passik et al, 2002 [28]

Prospective single centre study

Hospitalized patients with advanced cancer and refractory nausea and vomiting unrelated to radiotherapy or chemotherapy

N = 15

In terms of nausea: dose-response efficacy (from 2.5 to 10 mg/day)

In terms of quality of life: overall improvement only in patients treated at 5 mg/day

No significant difference in side effects between patients without treatment and patients treated with different dosages

MacKintosch, 2016 [29]

Prospective single centre study

Hospitalized cancer patients with refractory nausea and vomiting

N = 16

2 patients excluded due to treatment for less than 48 h

Subjective evaluation: 13 patients (92%) reported improvement of symptoms

1 patient (7%) decided to stop treatment for excessive drowsiness

Kaneishi et al, 2012 [30]

Retrospective study

Patients hospitalized in the palliative care unit and treated with olanzapine for nausea and vomiting related to malignant bowel obstruction

N = 20

Significant decrease in nausea score and frequency of vomiting after olanzapine treatment

18 patients (90%) reported a subjective improvement of nausea

2 patients (10%) reported excessive drowsiness

1 patient (5%) reported vertigo

No decision to stop treatment despite symptoms

Atkinson, 2014 [31]

Retrospective study

Hospitalized cancer patients with refractory nausea and vomiting

N = 4

Effective treatment

Reduced use of rescue medication

Reduced treatment cost

No side effects reported

Kaneishi et al, 2016 [32]

Retrospective multicentre study

Patients with advanced cancer hospitalized in the palliative care unit and treated with olanzapine for nausea and vomiting

N = 108

Doses ranged from 2.5 to 10 mg/day

Average duration of treatment: 22 days (from 2 to 211 days)

No efficacy or safety data reported.

Jackson and Tavernier, 2003 [33]

Case series

Hospitalized patients with cancer and neurological conditions and refractory nausea and vomiting

N = 6

Effective treatment

No side effects reported

Srivastava et al, 2003 [34]

Case series

Hospitalized cancer patients with refractory nausea and vomiting

N = 2

Effective treatment

No side effects reported

Atreya and Datta, 2016 [35]

Case series

Patients with advanced cancer hospitalized in palliative care unit with refractory nausea and vomiting

N = 3

Effective treatment

No side effects reported

Suzuki et al, 2014 [36]

Case study

1 patient with refractory nausea and vomiting after brain metastases from colorectal cancer

Effective treatment

No side effects reported

Langley-Degroot et al, 2015 [37]

Case study

1 patient with refractory nausea and vomiting after dyskeratosis congenita

Effective treatment

No side effects reported