RATIONALE: Antiemetic drugs may help to reduce or prevent nausea and vomiting in patients being treated with chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is comparing how well different antiemetic drugs work in preventing delayed nausea after chemotherapy in patients who have cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

• Compare the effectiveness of a 5 hydroxytryptamine 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonist antiemetic vs prochlorperazine in controlling delayed nausea after chemotherapy in patients with chemotherapy-naive cancer.
• Compare the effectiveness of prochlorperazine administered on a preventive vs as needed basis in controlling delayed nausea after chemotherapy in these patients.
• Compare the quality of life of patients treated with a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist antiemetic vs prochlorperazine.
• Compare the quality of life of patients treated with prochlorperazine administered on a preventive vs as needed basis.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to center.

Patients receive their scheduled chemotherapy regimen containing doxorubicin and their scheduled oral 5 hydroxytryptamine 3 receptor antagonist antiemetic (ondansetron, granisetron, tropisetron, or dolasetron mesylate) combined with dexamethasone on day 1.

Patients are then randomized to 1 of 3 antiemetic arms.

• Arm I: Patients receive oral prochlorperazine every 8 hours on days 2 and 3.
• Arm II: Patients receive oral ondansetron every 12 hours, oral granisetron every 12 hours, or oral dolasetron mesylate either once a day or every 12 hours on days 2 and 3.
• Arm III: Patients receive oral prochlorperazine as needed, up to 4 times per day, on days 2 and 3.

Quality of life is assessed at baseline and on day 4.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 670 patients will be accrued for this study within 3 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of cancer for which a chemotherapy regimen containing doxorubicin (with adjuvant, neoadjuvant, curative, or palliative intent) is scheduled

• Scheduled chemotherapy regimen must not include any of the following:

  • Multiple doses of doxorubicin, dacarbazine, hexamethylmelamine, nitrosoureas, or streptozocin
  • Doxorubicin HydroCloride liposome or cisplatin

• Scheduled chemotherapy regimen may contain agents, other than those listed above, administered orally, IV, or IV continuously on 1 or multiple days

• Must be scheduled to receive a 5 hydroxytryptamine 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonist antiemetic (ondansetron, granisetron, tropisetron, or dolasetron mesylate) with dexamethasone concurrently with doxorubicin

• No clinical evidence of an impending bowel obstruction

• No symptomatic brain metastasis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Not specified

Renal:

• Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No concurrent interferon

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Radiotherapy:

• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• Concurrent rescue medications (as appropriate) for control of symptoms caused by cancer or its treatment allowed