PREVENTION OF CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NEUTROPENIA USING G-CSF WITH VACOP-B - A CASE-REPORT

Hematopoietic growth factors, including granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), are being increasingly used to prevent chemotherapy-i nduced neutropenia. We report a patient with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who was successfully supported with G-CSF through a weekly VA COP-B chemotherapy regimen. The patient had become severely neutropeni c at week 3, requiring a one-week delay. For the remainder of the trea tment, G-CSF at a dose of 4 mu g/kg/day was administered daily over 4 days after week 4, then over 3 days thereafter, beginning the day afte r the non-myelosuppressive weeks (vincristine/bleomycin). A total of 5 such G-CSF courses were given, with no further neutropenia despite ad ministration of full chemotherapy doses on schedule. This case suggest s that, at least with the VACOP-B regimen, chemotherapy-induced neutro penia can be prevented using much lower quantities of G-CSF than has b een reported using other regimens.