Granulocyte-colony stimulating factors for secondary prevention of leucopenia in patients receiving chemotherapy.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of GCSF as a secondary preventive adjunct to chemotherapy in the gynaecologic cancer patients who previously had grade 3-4 neutropenia or leucopenia from chemotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 94 chemotherapeutic cycles with GCSF as secondary prophylaxis in 29 patients with gynaecologic malignancy between January 1996 and April 2005. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 51 years (21-75). Most of the patients had ovarian cancers (19 cases, 65.6%). From secondary GCSF, grade 4 neutropenia was developed in 12 of 94 cycles (12.8%), and grade 4 leucopenia was developed in 5 of 94 cycles (5.3%). There were no patients developing febrile neutropenia after GCSF support. CONCLUSION: Secondary GCSF prophylaxis was effective in preventing grade 4 leucopenia, grade 4 neutropenia, and febrile neutropenia.