title: Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) ameliorates chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in children with solid tumors.
abstract: Neutropenia is one of the risk factors for severe therapy-related morbidity in childhood malignancies. We have studied the potential of GM-CSF to shorten the neutropenic period after normal-dose chemotherapy in children who were treated for solid tumors. Patients with osteosarcomas, with Ewing sarcomas, or with rhabdomyosarcomas received 10 daily subcutaneous doses GM-CSF (Leucomax, 5 micrograms/kg) after a course of normal-dose chemotherapy in an open-label study. Because these patients were treated with different combinations of chemotherapeutic agents, they were randomized before each pair of identical courses of chemotherapy to receive GM-CSF after the first or after the second course. Fourteen such combinations could be evaluated in eight patients. The results show that GM-CSF significantly reduced the mean duration of the chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (mean reduction +/- SEM in days: 2.2 +/- 0.6, P = .003). There was no significant difference between the mean number of days with fever in either group. GM-CSF was well tolerated by all patients. We conclude that GM-CSF reduced the mean neutropenic period in children with solid tumors who were treated with standard-dose chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Emma Kinderziekenhuis AMC, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: van Pelt
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: de Craen
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Langeveld
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Weening
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor