Assessment of Palliative Effects of Ginger on Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea: Delayed Phase

Delayed nausea (24 to 72 hours after chemotherapy) is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. This study investigated the effects of ginger capsules on this problem.

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed in Imam Khomeini Hospital (Tehran, Iran) during August-December 2009. It included 80 women with breast cancer undergoing one-day chemotherapy periods and suffering from chemotherapy-induced nausea. After obtaining written consent, the subjects were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The two groups were matched in terms of age and emetic effects of chemotherapy drugs. The intervention group received 250 mg ginger capsules four times a day (1 g/day) from three days before to three days after chemotherapy. The control group received 25 mg starch capsules in the same order. To measure the effects of capsules, the patients were asked to fill out a three-part questionnaire every night. The collected data was analyzed with Fisher’s exact, Kruskal-Wallis, and chi-square tests using STATA8.

There was no significant difference between the mean duration of the disease between the intervention and control groups (4.2 ± 2.4 vs. 4.5 ± 2.6; P = 0.60). The mean age of subjects in the intervention and control groups was 41.8 ± 8.4 and 45.1 ± 10.0 years old (P = 0.10). The severity and frequency of delayed nausea were significantly lower in patients receiving ginger (P < 0.01 for both). Moreover, taking ginger capsules did not result in any complications compared to placebo (P = 0.50).

Taking ginger powder capsules (1 g/day) three days before to three days after chemotherapy besides the standard anti-emetic regimen could reduce the severity and frequency of chemotherapy-induced nausea.