title: High-dose carboplatin, etoposide and melphalan (CEM) with peripheral blood progenitor cell support as late intensification for high-risk cancer: non-haematological, haematological toxicities and role of growth factor administration.
abstract: The present report describes the non-haematological toxicity and the influence of growth factor administration on haematological toxicity and haematopoietic recovery observed after high-dose carboplatin (1200 mg m(-2)), etoposide (900 mg m(-2)) and melphalan (100 mg m(-2)) (CEM) followed by peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation (PBPCT) in 40 patients with high-risk cancer during their first-line treatment. PBPCs were collected during the previous outpatient induction chemotherapy programme by leukaphereses. CEM administration with PBPCT was associated with low non-haematological toxicity and the only significant toxicity consisted of a reversible grade III/IV increase in liver enzymes in 32% of the patients. Haematopoietic recovery was very fast in all patients and the administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) plus erythropoietin (EPO) or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) plus EPO after PBPCT significantly reduced haematological toxicity, abrogated antibiotic administration during neutropenia and significantly reduced hospital stay and patient's hospital charge compared with patients treated with PBPCT only. None of the patients died early of CEM plus PBPCT-related complications. Low non-haematological toxicity and accelerated haematopoietic recovery renders CEM with PBPC/growth factor support an acceptable therapeutic approach in an adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ostetricia e Ginecologia, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benedetti Panici
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pierelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scambia
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Foddai
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Salerno
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Menichella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vittori
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maneschi
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Caracussi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serafini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mancuso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006413:Hematopoietic System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D005047:Etoposide; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D016190:Carboplatin; D008558:Melphalan