title: Health resource utilization in ABMT with and without G-CSF in stage III/IV breast cancer patients.
abstract: G-CSF has been available since 1991 for use in patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy/ABMT, and while it has been shown to effectively reduce the risk of febrile neutropenia, its cost effectiveness has been open to question. In this small retrospective study, five indicators of the consumption of health care resources were examined in stage III/IV breast cancer patients who received high-dose chemotherapy with ABMT or peripheral stem cell support. The study covered the time periods before and after the availability of G-CSF. The results showed that patients who received G-CSF had reductions in length of hospital stay of 20% (the purged marrow group) and 17% (nonpurged group), compared with similar groups that did not receive the growth factor; the shortest lengths of stay were seen in the peripheral stem cell group, all of whom received G-CSF. Other findings, including number of days the ANC fell below 500, total days of G-CSF use, and total days of antibiotic use, are presented.
authors.affiliation: Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, USA.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Lawless
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Garty
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor