ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the development of anticipatory and nonpharmacological side effects associated with cancer chemotherapy. Research on anticipatory side effects of chemotherapy has generally focused on describing the parameters of the phenomenon and on methods of controlling or ameliorating it. Patients with anticipatory nausea/emesis reported higher levels of anxiety than patients who did not experience such side effects. Patients who had anticipatory symptoms also experienced greater emotional distress associated with treatment. Of course reported anxiety and distress may have resulted from, rather than have caused, anticipatory side effects. The conceptualization of the development of anticipatory side effects as the result of respondent conditioning has received the widest acceptance among researchers in the area. The acquisition of taste aversions in laboratory rats was originally demonstrated by Garcia and his colleagues. A similar phenomenon has been reported by researchers investigating the use of marijuana as an antiemetic with chemotherapy patients.
