Nasal Inhalation of Isopropyl Alcohol for the Treatment of Nausea in Patients with Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To compare the efficacy (change in the nausea level from baseline to 5 minutes post-intervention) between nasally inhaled isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and nasally inhaled saline solution (placebo) in the treatment of undifferentiated nausea among patients with cancer.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To assess patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction in IPA and placebo arms.

II. To evaluate the use of rescue anti-emetic medication administered from time 0 to 1 hour post-intervention between the two arms.

III. To evaluate the association between patients’ sociodemographic characteristics (e.g. age, sex, race/ethnicity, religion) and clinical factors (e.g. cancer diagnosis and stage, Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale-Financial Distress and Spiritual Pain [ESAS-FS], Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] score, location of intervention, etc.) with improvement in nausea.

IV. To assess patient-reported outcomes 24 hours post-intervention of the two arms.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients receive isopropyl alcohol via nasal inhalation.

ARM II: Patients receive placebo via nasal inhalation.