title: Impact of neutropenia on delivering planned adjuvant chemotherapy: UK audit of primary breast cancer patients.
abstract: The UK audit was undertaken in primary breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy to: (1) record the incidence of neutropenic events (hospitalisation due to febrile neutropenia, dose delay of > or =1 week or dose reduction of > or =15% due to neutropenia); (2) evaluate the impact of neutropenic events on overall dose intensity (DI) received and (3) review the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in clinical practice. Data from 422 patients with Stage I-III breast cancer were collected from 15 centres. Cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil(CMF)- or anthracycline-based regimens were the most commonly used. Only 5.2% of patients received G-CSF. Overall, 29% of patients experienced a neutropenic event, most frequently dose delay. Neutropenic events had a significant impact on the ability to deliver planned DI. Out of 422 patients, 17% did not achieve 85% of their planned DI; due to neutropenia in 11% of patients. Of the neutropenic patients receiving CMF- or anthracycline-based regimens, around 40 and 32% of patients, respectively, did not achieve 85% of their planned DI. Patients who experienced one neutropenic event had a higher risk of a second event. During adjuvant chemotherapy of primary breast cancer, neutropenic events are common, likely to occur in subsequent chemotherapy cycles, and have a significant impact on receiving planned DI.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Institute Singleton Hospital, Swansea SA2 8QA, UK. r.c.f.leonard@swansea.ac.uk
authors.forename: R C F
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nussey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor