Aprepitant or Ondansetron in Treating Nausea and Vomiting Caused By Opioids in Patients With Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• History of malignancy (including hematological malignancies)
• Has pain requiring opioid analgesics
• Nausea and vomiting (associated with opioid analgesic use) that is unrelieved by at least one standard antiemetic regimen (including 5HT3 antagonist and dexamethasone combination therapy)
• * Patients who have failed ondansetron hydrochloride for treatment of opioid-induced nausea and vomiting will be excluded from the study
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Able to assess severity of nausea and vomiting and document it in the diary
• Women must not be pregnant or lactating
• Women of childbearing potential and sexually active males are strongly advised to use an accepted and effective method of contraception
• Urine pregnancy test will be given to women of childbearing age
• No concerns about compliance with medication regimen or medical follow-up (patient must be able to tolerate oral dosing)
• No severe or chronic illness or other causes of nausea and vomiting, that in judgment of the treating physician, will place patient at risk
• No severe gastrointestinal obstruction or active peptic ulcer disease
• Serum ALT and AST \< 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Serum bilirubin \< 2 times ULN
• Serum alkaline phosphatase \< 2 times ULN
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• No surgery within the past 7 days
• No chemotherapy within the past 7 days
• No total or lower body radiation therapy within the past 7 days
• Patient may not be scheduled to undergo total body irradiation or lower body irradiation, chemotherapy, or surgery during study participation
• Patient must not be taking warfarin