Abstract
Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) is a frequent complication in cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy, which can result in life-threatening infections requiring prolonged hospitalization and increasingly cost management. Furthermore, scheduled chemotherapy may be reduced or delayed as a result of CIN, which negatively affects prognosis. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF) stimulate neutrophil production and maturation, and can therefore reduce the incidence and severity of neutropenia. A pegylated form of filgrastim, pegfilgrastim, has been developed, and various trials have shown that a single fixed dose (6 mg) per chemotherapy cycle is safe and effective in adult patients regardless of their body weight, thus making it a simple, effective, and well-tolerated option. This paper summarizes recent clinical data and analyses its place in the context of recent guidelines.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-18 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Trends in Medicine |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2008 |
Keywords
- Chemotherapy
- Filgrastim
- Neutropenia
- Pegfilgrastim
- Prevention
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Internal Medicine
- Pharmacology (medical)