title: Pegfilgrastim compared with filgrastim after high-dose melphalan and autologous hematopoietic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma patients.
abstract: We undertook a comparative study of Pegfilgrastim vs. Filgrastim after high-dose melphalan and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Thirty-seven consecutive patients were randomly assigned to receive a single 6 mg dose of Pegfilgrastim on day 1 post-transplant (n = 18 patients) vs. daily subcutaneous injections of Filgrastim 5 microg/kg (n = 19 patients) starting on day 5 post-transplant. The median duration of grade 4 neutropenia in the Pegfilgrastim and Filgrastim groups was 5 and 6 d, respectively (P = ns). The results for the two groups were also not significantly different for time to neutrophil and platelet recovery, but incidence of febrile neutropenia (61.1% vs. 100%, P = 0.003) and duration of febrile neutropenia (1.5 d vs. 4 d, P = 0.005), were lower in the Pegfilgrastim arm. After initial haematopoietic reconstitution, we observed significantly higher value of leukocytes x 10(9) L on day 15 (6.0 vs. 2.7, P = 0.004), in the Pegfilgrastim group compared with the Filgrastim group. This study shows that a single injection Pegfilgrastim can be used with safety and efficacy similar to those provided by daily injections of Filgrastim and it is associated with a decrease incidence of infectious events after APBSCT in MM patients.
authors.affiliation: Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli, Reggio Calabria, Italy. massimartino@tin.it
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Praticò
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Irrera
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Massara
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Console
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iacopino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D000069585:Filgrastim; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D019653:Myeloablative Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D015376:Nimustine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D019653:Myeloablative Agonists; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015376:Nimustine; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; C455861:pegfilgrastim; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D014750:Vincristine; D003606:Dacarbazine; D000069585:Filgrastim; D008558:Melphalan