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Bone Marrow Toxicity: White Blood Cells

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Side Effects of Medical Cancer Therapy

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Abstract

Chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN) may lead to dose reductions and/or delays that may decrease the chances of curative or life-prolonging treatment and is related to increased patient mortality. While often associated with a need for hospitalization, this complication can also be treated in an outpatient setting in low-risk patients. Prophylactic treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs), such as filgrastim (including approved biosimilars), lenograstim, or pegfilgrastim, is available to reduce the risk of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and its consequences, according to the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and other guidelines. Prophylactic G-CSF is recommended in patients receiving a chemotherapy regimen with a risk of FN above 20 %. Patient-related risk factors (in particular, elderly age [≥65 years]) may increase the overall risk of FN and need to be evaluated to decide the use of prophylaxis for regimens with intermediate (10–20 %) risk of FN.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Multidisciplinaire d’Oncologie, Clinique de Genolier, Genolier, Switzerland

    Matti S. Aapro M.D.

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  1. Matti S. Aapro M.D.
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Correspondence to Matti S. Aapro M.D. .

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  1. , Department of Hematology-Oncology, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, Rue Barble 4, Luxembourg, 1210, Luxembourg

    Mario A. Dicato

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Aapro, M.S. (2013). Bone Marrow Toxicity: White Blood Cells. In: Dicato, M. (eds) Side Effects of Medical Cancer Therapy. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-787-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-787-7_9

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