Simultaneous administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (Filgrastim) and induction chemotherapy in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Autor: Oliver G. Ottmann, Arnold Ganser, Dieter Hoelzer, Gerhard Heil, Mathias Freund, E Gracien, Wolfgang Hiddemann, Wolfgang Heit
Rok vydání: 1993
Předmět:
Zdroj: Annals of Hematology. 67:161-167
ISSN: 1432-0584
0939-5555
DOI: 10.1007/bf01695862
Popis: The present study was designed to determine whether Filgrastim, a neutrophil-specific hematopoietic growth factor, could be administered simultaneously with intensive induction chemotherapy for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The effect of Filgrastim on the severity of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, fever, and infections was assessed in 15 patients treated according to the protocol of the German multicenter ALL (GMALL) trial 04/89. Filgrastim (5 micrograms/kg/day) was given concurrently with successive cycles of cyclophosphamide, cytosine-arabinoside (ara-C), 6-mercaptopurine (6MP), prednisone (PRD), intrathecal methotrexate, and prophylactic cranial irradiation. During the study period the median total duration of severe neutropenia (< 0.5 x 10(9)/l) in 13 evaluable patients was 8 days, individual periods of neutropenia typically were short. Infections occurred in six patients; seven patients remained fever-free during treatment with Filgrastim. We conclude that simultaneous treatment with Filgrastim and chemotherapy in this specific setting is feasible and well tolerated. The efficacy of this treatment approach in terms of overall treatment results requires further testing in a randomized trial.
Databáze: OpenAIRE