title: Incidence of febrile neutropenia and neutropenic infections in elderly patients receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy for breast cancer without primary prophylaxis with colony-stimulating factors.
abstract: There is concern about the potential increase of hematological toxicity in elderly patients treated with chemotherapy. Recently, primary prophylaxis with colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) was proposed for elderly patients receiving moderately toxic chemotherapy. However, evidence for the benefits of this primary prophylaxis for elderly breast cancer patients is currently lacking. We retrospectively analyzed the incidence of febrile neutropenia (FN) and neutropenic infections in elderly breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy without primary prophylaxis with colony-stimulating factors. In addition, we assessed the direct costs of hospitalization for these complications. Febrile neutropenia or neutropenic infection occurred in 13% of the 46 patients. Further studies are needed to adequately evaluate the risk of neutropenic complications (NC) in elderly patients receiving standard-dose chemotherapy for breast cancer and the potential benefits of primary prophylaxis with colony-stimulating factors.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Chemotherapy, Institut J. Bordet, B-1000 Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Minisini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spazzapan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crivellari
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aapro
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Biganzoli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000009:adverse effects; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors