Prof Fausto Roila speaks about two studies presented at ESMO 2010. The first of these involved 'Balloon Kyphoplasty', a new minimally invasive procedure for painful vertebrae fractures. This procedure reduces pain and disability by inserting a small orthopaedic balloon into the fractured vertebra before quick-setting bone cement is injected to restore shape and strength. The second study compared the antiemetic effects of granisetron with palonosetron in patients undergoing cisplatin or anthracycline plus cyclophosphamide based chemotherapy. The percentage of nausea free patients was significantly higher in the palonosetron group, particularly in young female patients receiving cisplatin therapy.