Objectives To determine effects of ginger on reducing the severity of nausea and/or vomiting among gynecologic patients receiving a combined carboplatin-paclitaxel regimen.

Methods The research was a randomized, double-blinded, crossover, placebo-controlled trial. Participants were the patients with gynecologic malignancies receiving the carboplatin-paclitaxel chemotherapy in King Chulalongkorn Memorial hospital. Either ginger (2 g per day) or placebo were prescribed in adjunct to standard antiemetic prophylaxis (dexamethasone, ondansetron, and ranitidine), in alternated cycles between groups: in group 1, the ginger was prescribed in odd cycles and the placebo in even cycles, and vice versa in group 2. Patients with gut obstruction, brain or bowel metastasis, those using anticoagulants, other ginger or antiemetic medications or patients who had ginger allergy were excluded from the study.

Results Overall, 47 participants were recruited. Mean age was 53.9 years. 17 subjects were chemotherapy-naïve. In an acute phase of nausea, ginger therapy significantly reduced the mean nausea score comparing to placebo (P = 0.03). However, in the delayed phase, there were no significant differences between groups. For the acute and delayed phase of vomiting, there was no difference between the groups. No serious adverse effects were demonstrated in the ginger group (P > 0.05).

Conclusions Adjunct ginger therapy on standard nausea and vomiting prophylaxis protocol have benefit in reducing an acute phase nausea in patients receiving a combined carboplatin-paclitaxel regimen. The benefit on delayed phase nausea and vomiting is still equivocal.