Delayed administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor after autologous bone marrow transplantation : effect on granulocyte recovery

Recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) has been shown to hasten granulocyte recovery after autologous BMT. In current protocols, rhG-CSF treatment starts 1 day after BM reinfusion. Our study retrospectively examined the effects on haematological recovery of a day 6 delayed administration. Seventy-eight patients receiving autologous BMT for malignant lymphoma (21 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 9 Hodgkin's disease) or solid tumors (33 breast carcinoma and 5 ovarian carcinoma) were split up into three study groups. Two groups receiving a 5 μg/kg/day of rhG-CSF starting either 1 day (day +1 group, n=25 patients) or 6 days (day +6 group, n=24 patients) after BM reinfusion were compared with 29 historical control patients