Colony-Stimulating Factors After the Treatment of Pediatric Malignant Diseases

Abstract

The improvement of the survival of pediatric cancer patients is due to the development of complex therapy, especially of chemotherapy. Increased dose intensity of chemotherapy results in a better treatment outcome [1–5]. However, chemotherapy-associated life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections and mortality have remained a great problem. The risk of infection is directly related to the degree and duration of neutropenia [6]. The patient with neutropenic fever needs hospitalization and antibiotics, the quality of life is made worse, the costs of treatment are increased, and there is a delay in chemotherapy or dose reduction.