Recombinant Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor Reduces the Infectious Complications of Cytotoxic Chemotherapy

The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (r-metHuG-CSF) following conventional chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer. 130 previously untreated patients were randomised to receive either r-metHuG-CSF (230 pg/m*) or placebo on days 4-17 following CDE (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and etoposide) chemotherapy. Over all cycles, 53% of 64 patients on placebo and only 26% of 65 patients on r-met&G-CSF had at least one experience of neutropenia with fever defined as a neutrophil count less than 1.0 x 109/1 and a temperature 2 38.2X (P , and a sign&ant reduction in the incidence of infection-related hospitalisation. Chemotherapy doses were reduced by 15% or more at least once in 61% of the placebo group compared with 29% in the rmetHuG-CSF group (I’ < 0.001). 47% of the patients treated with placebo and 29% of the patients treated with rmetHuG-CSF experienced at least one cycle with a delay of 2 days or more in the administration of chemotherapy (P < 0.04). r-metHuG-CSF, was well tolerated. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of response or survival.