Intermittent G-CSF to Maintain Dose Intensity of Chemotherapy for Hodgkin's Disease

Abstract

As the ability to deliver full dose chemotherapy on time in Hodgkin's disease has been reported to be an important determinant of response,¹ our department has adopted a policy of using G-CSF in patients receiving adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABYD) in whom neutropenia would otherwise necessitate dose reduction or delay. This is based on reports that G-CISF following myelosuppressive chemotherapy reduces the period of neutropenia, resulting in less fever² and the ability to deliver multiple courses of full-dose treatment without delay.³ In these reports, G-CSF was administered daily, but whether this represents the optimal schedule for this purpose has yet to be established.

Key Words:

• intermittent G-CSF
• chemotherapy
• Hodgkin's disease