Cytokines and biological response modifiers in the treatment of infection

Patients undergoing myelosuppressive cancer therapy (chemotherapy or radiation) are at an increased risk to develop potentially life-threatening infections. The incidence appears to be strongly correlated with the duration and degree of absolute neutropenia [1]. A neutrophil count of <500 cells/mm3, and especially of <100 cells/mm3, carries an increased risk for fever and bacterial infections, and a prolonged duration of neutropenia increases the risk for fungal and other infectious complications [2, 3, 4, 5, 6].