AbstractA significant but non‐causal relationship between pre‐chemotherapy nervousness and development of anticipatory nausea (AN) in cancer patients is reported. A comprehensive psychosocial care program with the aim of improving the total situation of patients treated with chemotherapy (n= 119) was carried out in Uppsala during 1987–1989. Multiple quality‐of‐life (QL) recordings were employed for the project patients in all phases of treatment. A comparable pre‐project group, treated one month previously at the same wards, served as controls (n= 54). For this group, QL was recorded at a mean of 5 months after start of treatment. Pre‐chemotherapy nervousness at the first chemotherapy course was a highly significant predictor for AN after 5 months of treatment in the project patients, and was also significantly related to AN in the pre‐project group. All but two patients who developed AN had experienced post‐treatment nausea and vomiting (PN/V). There was also a significant interaction between pre‐project/project groups and severity of AN/PN after 5 months of treatment, indicating that project patients had developed less severe AN despite more severe PN compared to the pre‐project patients. The reduction of AN severity was, however, of marginal clinical importance, as indicated by non‐significant differences in reported AN in the two groups, when severity of PN was not considered. The most important means by which AN can be reduced is by eliminating post‐trea