Abstract: Background and purpose: Cancer-related nausea, vomiting and fatigue can cause severe damage to body functions and develop multiple complications in patients with advanced cancer, which can seriously affect the quality of life and even lead to death. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of metoclopramide combined with haloperidol in treating advanced cancer-related nausea and vomiting (CRNV) and determine whether it affected fatigue. Methods: A total of 536 advanced cancer patients with nausea and vomiting were included and randomly assigned to the ondansetron group (n=133), the metoclopramide group (n=135), the haloperidol group (n=132) and the metoclopramide plus haloperidol group (n=136). Outcome parameters were measured at 48 h, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after receiving antiemetic using the Index of Nausea, Vomiting, and Retching (INVR), and the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF). Results: The efficacy rates of metoclopramide plus haloperidol groups were 53.7%, 86.8% and 94.9%, respectively. The INVR of using ondansetron 48 h was significantly lower than that of single and combined metoclopramide plus haloperidol regimens. However, 2 and 4 weeks after receiving metoclopramide plus haloperidol regimens, the INVR and MFSI-SF scores of metoclopramide plus haloperidol regimens significantly declined compared with the control and single antiemetic (P<0.05). Conclusion: Metoclopramide plus haloperidol can prevent and treat advanced cancer-related nausea and vomiting with significant clinical efficacy, and is helpful in alleviating fatigue. It is well worth spreading for clinical use.

Key words: Metoclopramide, Haloperidol, Advanced cancer patients, Cancer-related nausea and vomiting, Cancer-related fatigue