Randomized study of granulocyte colony stimulating factor for childhood B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a report from the Japanese pediatric leukemia/lymphoma study group B-NHL03 study

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the primary prophylaxis of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in the management of childhood B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). Patients with advanced-stage mature B-NHL were randomized to receive prophylactic G-CSF (G-CSF+) or not receive G-CSF (G-CSF−) based on protocols of the B-NHL03 study. The G-CSF group received 5 μg/kg/d Lenograstim from day 2 after each course of six chemotherapy courses. Fifty-eight patients were assessable, 29 G-CSF + and 29 G-CSF−. G-CSF + patients showed a positive impact on the meantime to neutrophil recovery and hospital stay. On the other hand, they had no impact in the incidences of febrile neutropenia, serious infections, stomatitis and total cost. Our study showed that administration of prophylactic G-CSF through all six chemotherapy courses for childhood B-NHL showed no clinical and economic benefits for the management of childhood B-NHL treatment.

Keywords:

• B-NHL
• childhood
• granulocyte colony stimulating factor

Acknowledgements

We thank the patients who enrolled in the B-NHL03 G-CSF study and their families, and late Dr. A. Kikuchi who was the principal investigator of this study.

This study was supported by Grants for Clinical Cancer Research from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan; H14-Koka(Gan)-031, H15-Koka(Gan)-024, H16-GanRinsho-004, H17-GanRinsho-004, H20-GanRinsho-Ippan-017, H23-GanRinsho-Ippan-014.

Potential conflict of interest

Disclosure forms provided by the authors are available with the full text of this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/10428194.2015.1106534