Effect and Tolerance of Treatment with Haemopoetic Growth Factors in Patients with Acute Myeloblastic Leukaemia during the Period of Postcytostatic Neutropenia

Overview

The probability of infection and risk of mortality caused by infectious complications in patients with acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML) correlates with the duration of severe neutropenia. It is known that haemopoietic growth factors (CSF) enhance the regeneration and functional capacity of granulocytes as well as of other effector cells of myelopoiesis during the period of postcytostatic neutropenia. The authors evaluated in their retrospective study the duration of neutropenia, the number and severity of infectious complications as well as the number of days during which parenteral antibiotic administration was needed and the hospitalisation period, in 49 children. The results revealed, that patients where during the postcytostatic period CSF was administe- red had a shorter period of neutropenia and a smaller number of serious infectious complicati- ons. They did not find a statistically significant difference in the achievement of complete remission and in the incidence of bacteraemia between the two groups. However, in the group of patients to whom CSF was administered the number of days requiring parenteral antibiotic administration and the period of hospitalisation were shorter. In the discussion the authors mention also other possibilities of using CSF in the treatment of acute myeloblastic leukaemia.

Key words:
haemopoietic growth factors - acute myeloblastic leukaemia - iatrogenic neutropenia - infectious complications - hospitalisation period - toxicity of therapy.