title: The effect of recombinant human granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor after chemotherapy of various tumors.
abstract: Recombinant human granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) has been successfully used in different clinical settings. We evaluated the tolerability of rhGM-CSF treatment in addition to its efficacy in preventing myelosuppression and reducing infectious complications after standard-dose chemotherapy of various tumors. Of the patient group analyzed (n = 308), 75% had solid tumors and 25% had hematological malignancies. In 27.9% of these patients an infection occurred after the first cycle of chemotherapy and between 8.2 and 19.0% in later cycles with a mean duration of fever (above 38.5 degrees C) of 3.6 days. Treatment with rhGM-CSF was well-tolerated. After the completion of treatment, the investigators assessed the efficacy of rhGM-CSF in 83.7% of the patients as 'very good' or 'good', and as 'moderate' or 'bad' in only 11.5% of patients as well as the tolerability as 'very good' or 'good' in 87.0% of the patients and in 9.4% 'moderate' or 'bad'. We conclude that rhGM-CSF proved to be an effective and well-tolerated tool in preventing myelosuppression and infectious complications after standard-dose chemotherapy of various tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Research, Novartis Pharma GmbH, Nürnberg, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Haus
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Färber
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ullrich
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Burger
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor