G-CSF use post peripheral blood stem cell transplant is associated with faster neutrophil engraftment, shorter hospital stay and increased incidence of chronic GVHD

Abstract

The use of G-CSF post allogeneic transplant has become a common practice to accelerate neutrophil engraftment. There is some controversy in its use. To further evaluate the effectiveness, we compared outcomes in patients who underwent PBSCT, either with or without the planned use of G-CSF post SCT. Among consecutive 162 patients from October 2012 to October 2014, 65 patients received G-CSF post-PBSCT, and 97 did not. More patients in G-CSF group received MAC (78% vs. 55%). Patients who received G-CSF had earlier neutrophil engraftment (median days 11 vs. 14) and shorter post-transplant hospital stay (median days 16 vs. 20, p = 0.001). G-CSF use was associated with a higher rate of extensive chronic GVHD (44.3% vs.61.5%, p = 0.027). G-CSF cost the equivalent of 0.25 hospital days but shortened the initial transplant admission by 4 days. Early cost-benefit may be later offset by the economic burden of chronic GVHD and associated complications.

Keywords:

• Allogeneic stem cell transplantation
• peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT)
• granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)
• cost-effective
• graft versus host disease (GVHD)
• hospital stay

Acknowledgements

The abstract was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology supplement issue in May 2017 and it is available online (Google scholar).

Disclosure statement

The authors have no existing or potential financial conflict of interest to disclose. No relevant conflict of interest exists.