Treatment of Refractory Nausea and Vomiting in Patients With Breast Cancer

This randomized phase III trial studies how well netupitant/palonosetron hydrochloride and dexamethasone with prochlorperazine or olanzapine work compared to netupitant/palonosetron hydrochloride and dexamethasone in improving chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with breast cancer. Antiemetic drugs, such as prochlorperazine and olanzapine, may help lessen nausea and vomiting in patients with breast cancer treated with chemotherapy.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine if control of nausea at cycle 2 in participants who experienced chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) at cycle 1 is improved by the addition of either prochlorperazine or olanzapine to the control arm of netupitant, palonosetron and dexamethasone. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine if olanzapine is more effective than prochlorperazine in controlling nausea at cycle 2 in participants who experienced CINV at cycle 1 when used in combination with netupitant, palonosetron and dexamethasone. II. To determine if control of vomiting at cycle 2 in patients who experienced CINV at cycle 1 is improved by the addition of either prochlorperazine or olanzapine to the control arm of netupitant, palonosetron and dexamethasone. III. To determine if olanzapine is more effective than prochlorperazine in controlling vomiting at cycle 2 in participants who experienced CINV at cycle 1 when used in combination with netupitant, palonosetron and dexamethasone. TERTIARY OBJECTIVES: I. To create an empirically-based algorithm predicting nausea from breast cancer chemotherapy regimens that takes into account not only state-of-the-art anti-emetic regimens but also participant factors such as age, race, education, ethnicity, quality of life (QOL), alcohol consumption, susceptibility to nausea, expectancy, anxiety, level of nausea on the day prior to treatment, and prior history of nausea. II. To compare the effects of the interventions on QOL, as assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy- General (FACT-G), by following the same procedures described under the primary aim and the first secondary aim, using change in the FACT-G scores as the response. III. To provide preliminary data on the frequency and severity of sleep disturbance, fatigue, anxiety, and dizziness, across treatment conditions. IV. To provide preliminary data on biological factors (e.g. glutathione \[GSH\] recycling, genetic markers) that may help identify a subgroup of patients at high risk for development of cancer-related or treatment-related side effects, or response to treatment. OUTLINE: PART I: Patients receive 1 cycle of standard of care chemotherapy. PART II: Patients with a nausea score \>= 3 at least once on the diary at cycle 1 chemotherapy are randomized into 1 of 3 groups at cycle 2. GROUP I: Within 1 hour prior to chemotherapy, patients receive netupitant/palonosetron hydrochloride orally (PO) on day 1. Within 30 minutes prior to chemotherapy, patients also receive dexamethasone PO on days 1-4. Patients also receive placebo PO with chemotherapy every 8 hours (Q8H) on days 1-4. GROUP II: Patients receive netupitant/palonosetron hydrochloride and dexamethasone as in Group I. Patients also receive prochlorperazine PO Q8H and placebo PO with chemotherapy on days 1-4. GROUP III: Patients receive netupitant/palonosetron hydrochloride and dexamethasone as in Group I. Patients also receive olanzapine PO and placebo PO Q8H with chemotherapy on days 1-4. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up for 30 days.