Tackling the Antiemetic Challenge in Cancer Therapy: Fudan Cancer Center Study Published in JCO

Zhang Jian, chief physician of the Phase I ward at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, led 28 centers nationwide in completing DESCEND, a multicenter, randomized, open-label phase III non-inferiority trial, whose results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO, impact factor 44.7). The study enrolled 644 adult patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy and randomized them 1:1:1 into a standard four-day corticosteroid antiemetic regimen, a reduced single-dose day-one corticosteroid regimen, and a completely corticosteroid-free regimen. Overall complete response rates were 72.4%, 72.2% and 70.1% respectively.

Compared with the standard regimen, the differences were -0.2% for the reduced regimen and -2.2% for the corticosteroid-free regimen, both meeting the non-inferiority margin. Patients in the reduced-dose and fully corticosteroid-free groups showed significantly lower rates of corticosteroid-related adverse reactions such as anxiety, hiccups, indigestion and insomnia. The study was presented as an oral report at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting and recognized as a landmark achievement with the potential to change clinical practice.