ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy of short-term intermittent prophylactic use of a recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) in chemotherapy-induced severe thrombocytopenia in lung cancer patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>24 advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who experienced severe thrombocytopenia in the last chemotherapy cycle received prophylactic rhTPO treatment in the next chemotherapy cycle (prophylactic treated cycle, PTC). rhTPO was given subcutaneously 300 U×kg(-1)×d(-1) on days 2, 4, 6, and 9 after the initiation of chemotherapy. Platelet count was monitored and compared with that in the previous treatment cycle (control cycle, CC).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The lowest platelet count in the prophylactic rhTPO cycle was significantly higher than that in control cycle [(56 ± 16) × 10(9)/L vs. (28 ± 13) × 10(9)/L, P < 0.001]. The duration of thrombocytopenia was also shortened by the prophylactic rhTPO [(8 ± 2) d vs. (12 ± 3) d, P < 0.001]. The area under curve (AUC) of platelet count (21 days) was significantly increased [(3517 ± 685) × 10(9)/L vs. (2063 ± 436) × 10(9)/L, P < 0.001]. The time to platelet nadir and peak was not affected.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Prophylactic use of rhTPO can attenuate the severity and shorten the duration of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia in lung cancer patients.</p>