title: Long-term safety of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in normal donors: is it all clear?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a hematopoietic growth factor that stimulates the proliferation and differentiation of neutrophil precursor cells. G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood (PB) hematopoietic progenitor stem cells (HPSCs) collected by apheresis are being increasingly employed for allogeneic transplantation in patients with malignancies as an alternative to bone marrow (BM) transplant. Documenting the safety of G-CSF as a mobilizing agent for HPSC donation has long been a matter of importance for physicians, particularly when volunteer, unrelated adult donors are involved.
  
  
  METHODS
  We review publications in the field with the goal of providing an overview of these approaches.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trials and international donor registries have not shown any long-term effects associated with G-CSF therapy and a threefold-or-greater increased risk of leukemia or other malignancies through PB HPSC donation can be excluded. Our conclusions are that the administration of G-CSF to healthy donors has a favorable long-term risk-benefit profile, although it is essential to encourage the enrolment of donors in carefully designed programs for follow-up monitoring.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Department, Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli, 89100 Reggio, Calabria, Italy. maxmartino65@alice.it
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fedele
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Massara
authors.forename: Anna Grazia
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Recchia
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Irrera
authors.forename: Fortunato
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morabito
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor