EMDR Treatment of Conditioned Nausea and Vomiting in Cancer Survivors

EMDR Treatment of Conditioned Nausea and Vomiting in Cancer Survivors - a Pilot Study

To explore the effectiveness of EMDR therapy treatment in reducing symptoms of chemotherapy-induced conditioned nausea and vomiting in (former) patients with cancer.

Conditioned nausea and vomiting is a common side effect of anti-cancer treatment, and while strategies like antiemetics exist, their effectiveness is limited. Conditioned nausea and vomiting can possibly be addressed through Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR therapy is a therapeutic intervention, proven to be effective in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and promising in treating a range of other conditions. At the UMCG, EMDR therapy is used on a small scale to treat conditioned nausea with positive results, although more rigorous research is needed to fully establish its efficacy. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of EMDR therapy treatment in reducing symptoms of chemotherapy-induced conditioned nausea and vomiting in (former) patients with cancer.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Previously pathologically confirmed diagnosis of cancer
• Previously treated with systemic cancer therapy
• Persistent complaints (more than 2 months) of conditioned nausea and/or vomiting
• Able to understand spoken and written Dutch
• 18 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

• Ongoing psychiatric treatment
• EMDR therapy contraindications (dissociative disorders, personality disorders or severe somatic disorders (e.g. cardiac arrhythmias))
• Complex type 2 trauma
• Known with recent conditions / non-anti-cancer medication which can elicit nausea (e.g. pregnancy or alcohol abuses)