title: Colony-stimulating factors in the prevention of solid tumors induced by chemotherapy in patients with febrile neutropenia.
abstract: Haematologic toxicity and its most frequent complication, febrile neutropenia represents the main limiting factor to the use of anti-cancer chemotherapy. The recent availability of recombinant human colony stimulating factors offers a new opportunity to improve the tolerance of these treatments. Most randomized trials in various solid tumors have demonstrated the ability of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor to significantly reduce the incidence of febrile neutropenia and related complications. Interestingly enough, these compounds are well tolerated and easy to administrate. However, since the increase in dose-intensity does not translate into any improved efficacy in terms of response rates or survival, the use of colony-stimulating factors has to be decided on the basis of cost-benefit considerations. Therefore, some scientific societies such as the American Association of Clinical Oncology in the US and the Anti-Cancer Centers Group in France have published recommendations for their use in routine oncology practice. We here discuss these guidelines on the basis of an overview of the literature.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Pierre-Bénite, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Freyer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ligneau
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Trillet-Lenoir
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005334:Fever; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor