- With Mayo Clinic medical oncologist
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
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Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
"As a practicing medical oncologist, I meet with patients and families every day to help manage their course through this disease called cancer. This experience provides unique insight into the needs of cancer patients, their families and loved ones and brings into sharp focus the need for reliable information to be readily available in terms that can be easily understood." — Dr. Timothy Moynihan
Dr. Timothy Moynihan believes that providing consumers accurate, timely information on the broad, complex topic of cancer is the biggest challenge facing medical Web sites. As the guiding force behind our cancer coverage, he makes sure Mayo Clinic meets the test.
Dr. Moynihan, born in Las Vegas, N.M., but raised in Denver, is a consultant in medical oncology at Mayo Clinic and an associate professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice and palliative care medicine. He did his medical oncology training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and then went on to the University of Minnesota and St. Paul Regions Medical Center in St. Paul, Minn., for seven years before moving to Mayo Clinic in 1999. Dr. Moynihan is director of the palliative care program at Mayo Clinic and associate medical director of the Mayo Clinic hospice.
Dr. Moynihan currently serves as the education chair for the Department of Medical Oncology and fellowship program director. Four times he has been selected as Teacher of the Year in medical oncology and elected to the Teacher of the Year Hall of Fame. Past honors include distinguished clinical teacher at the University of Minnesota Medical School, best internist at the Medical College of Wisconsin and recipient of The Upjohn Achievement Award for Excellence in Medicine. He serves on several national committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
"The Internet provides a ready source of information on a wide range of topics of interest to those affected by cancer," Dr. Moynihan says. "The difficulty is trying to decide which sites provide reputable information and which information is relevant to each individual patient. The long history and tradition of excellence associated with Mayo Clinic assures you that information provided will be reliable, up-to-date and comprehensive."
Cancer (4)
- Magic mouthwash: Effective in treating chemotherapy mouth sores?
- Ginger for chemotherapy-induced nausea: Does it work?
- Chemotherapy and sex: Is sexual activity OK during treatment?
- see all in Cancer
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Question
Ginger for chemotherapy-induced nausea: Does it work?
Can taking ginger for nausea reduce or eliminate nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy?
Answer
from Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
The evidence is mixed on whether taking ginger for nausea is effective in reducing or eliminating nausea and vomiting during and after chemotherapy. On the one hand, there have been promising results from some studies of ginger for nausea, including one that showed taking various doses of ginger orally had a significant effect in reducing nausea in people undergoing chemotherapy for a variety of cancers. In two other smaller studies, taking ginger along with a standard anti-nausea (anti-emetic) medication further reduced the severity of nausea following chemotherapy treatments. And in another small study, people receiving ginger combined with a high-protein drink reported less nausea than those who did not receive the ginger and protein drink.
But other studies have shown ginger to be of no benefit in reducing nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy. It also had been thought that taking ginger might reduce the length of time people feel nauseous following chemotherapy, but no solid evidence has been found to support that, either.
Additional study is needed. In the meantime, several prescription drugs have been proven effective at controlling nausea during and after chemotherapy. Discuss with your health care team what might be best for you.
Next questionChemotherapy and sex: Is sexual activity OK during treatment?
- Ryan JL, et al. Ginger for chemotherapy-related nausea in cancer patients: A URCC CCOP randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 644 cancer patients. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2009;15(suppl):9511.
- Hickok JT, et al. A phase II/III randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of ginger (zingiber officinale) for nausea caused by chemotherapy for cancer: A currently accruing URCC CCOP cancer control study. Supportive Cancer Therapy. 2007;4:247.
- Zick SM, et al. Phase II trial of encapsulated ginger as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Support Care Cancer. 2009;17:563.
- Ginger. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Aug. 11, 2009.
- Levine ME, et al. Protein and ginger for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced delayed nausea. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2008;14:545.
