Magdalena Steuer

Neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, as a complication of chemotherapy and the use of granulocytic growth factors (G-CSF) in therapy
2019-03-29

In clinical practice the most important is prevention and treatment of neutropenia and febrile neutropenia, which is substantial cause of mortality in oncologic patients. Treatment outcomes may be improved by advances achieved in supportive care for patients with hematological malignancies, there by fafourably impacting the quality of life for those surviving. Granulocyte colony – stimulating factors introduced in the 1990s to prevent neutropenic fever improve patients prognosis after myelotoxic schemotherapy. G-CSFs accelerate bone marrow recovery, schortening the duration of neutropenia and reducing its intensity as well as the risk of febrile neutropenia. There are short (filgrastim) and long-acting (pegfilgrastim) G-CSFs available these days.

Keywords: neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, granulocyte colony – stimulating factors, treatment, filgrastim, pegfilgrastim

© Farm Pol, 2019, 75(3): 119–124