Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is a common and distressing side effect of cancer treatment caused by chemotherapy drugs stimulating the brain's vomiting centers and the gut.

It is classified by timing as acute, occurring within the first day; delayed, beginning after 24 hours; and anticipatory, triggered by cues such as the sight of the clinic. Risk depends on the specific drugs, their intensity and patient factors such as age, sex and prior motion sickness. Uncontrolled symptoms can lead to dehydration, malnutrition and treatment interruption.

Oncology teams predict risk from the emetogenic potential of each regimen and prescribe preventive antiemetics, typically combining several drug classes. Two FDA-approved cannabinoid medicines, dronabinol and nabilone, are THC-like drugs used when standard antiemetics fail. Cannabidiol itself is not an established treatment for this condition.