Standards, Options and Recommendations for the use of hematopoietic growthfactors in cancerology

Four hematopoietic growth factors have marketing approval in France: filgra stime (G-CSF), malgraostime (GM-CSF), lenograstime (glycolysated G-CSF) and erythropoietin. A standards, options and recommendations document has not yet been established for erythropoietin which is excluded from this report Administration of hematopoietic growth factors can be proposed in five clin ical situations: primary prophylaxis, secondary prophylaxis, curative care, after myeloablative chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell grafting and finally mobilization of peripheral stem cells. Primary prophylaxis: excepti ng therapeutic trials, the use of hematopoietic growth factors is recommend ed for clinical situations where a significant incidence of neutropenia wit h fever has been reported in randomized trials and in rare cases where ther e is an increased risk of severe infectious complications. Hematopoietic gr owth factors are indispensable for increasing the quality of cytapheresis p eripheral stern cell harvesting.