The effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients treated with hyperfractionated radiotherapy

We investigated the effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) administration on radiotherapy (RT)-induced oral mucositis in 26 consecuti ve patients with head and neck neoplasms, stages III and TV, treated with h yperfractionated RT. The first 13 patients were treated with RT alone and t he remainder with RT + G-CSF. The two groups of patients were similar in ag e, sex, PS, primary site, stage, RT schedule and RT volume. Daily mucositis , median mucositis score, day of highest mucositis, require ment of parente ral nutrition, weight loss, treatment break, number of days of RT interrupt ion were analyzed during RT treatment. No statistically significant differe nces were found between the two groups except for the number of patients wh o interrupted the treatment: 9/13 patients (69%) in the RT alone group vers us 3/13 (23%) in the RT + G-CSF group (p < 0.05). Our observations indicate that G-CSF did not appear to have influenced the objective mucositis altho ugh it reduced the number of treatment breaks. In consideration of the cost of G-CSF, its prophylactic administration should be reserved only for pati ents at high risk of RT interruption. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.