LAUSR

AIM To investigate the rates of hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs), in patients receiving paclitaxel chemotherapy, with and without a Histamine-2 (H2 ) antagonists. METHOD This prospective, multi-centre, cohort study compared patients receiving paclitaxel treated with pre-medication regimens containing chlorphenamine, dexamethasone and an H2 antagonist versus patients treated without an H2 antagonist. Rates of HSRs were described and logistic multivariable regression was used to investigate any associations with H2 antagonist treatment, adjusting for confounding variables. RESULTS 1043 were included in the study; of these, 638 (61%) patients received a H2 antagonist and 405 (49%) were not given a H2 antagonist. Incidence of HSR in the cohort treated with H2 antagonists was 11.31% (n=70) versus 9.86% (n=41) in the cohort without. There was no statistically significant difference between the rates of HSR observed in those receiving and not receiving a H2 antagonist (odds ratio 1.04, 95% CI 0.65, 1.66, P=0.9). CONCLUSIONS Results presented within the study are consistent with other recently published evidence to suggest that H2 antagonists do not confer any advantage as part of pre-medication regimens in reducing the incidence of HSR in patients treated with paclitaxel.