Cost-benefit analysis of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the management of elderly cancer patients

Use of granulocyte-colony stimulating factors in older patients: a review of recently published data

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review presents the analysis of recently published studies about the benefit from granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (G-CSF) in older cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

RECENT FINDINGS

During the last years, no major study aiming to confirm the clinical benefit of G-CSF prophylaxis in older patients treated with chemotherapy has been published. Nonetheless, all the data made recently available confirm that age, especially if other comorbid conditions are present as well, is a major risk factor for febrile neutropenia occurrence and that G-CSF prophylaxis can reduce significantly that risk.

SUMMARY

New modalities of administering G-CSF prophylaxis might be considered in older people in the future. Among these approaches, the 'same day' administration of prophylaxis and chemotherapy and the development of less-expensive approaches for G-CSF prophylaxis, such as the use of biosimilars are studied.

Validation of Risk of Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia: Experience from Oncology Hospital of Nepal

Background

The majority of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy show neutropenic condition which is a common side effect of myelosuppressive chemotherapy diagnosed as the reduced complete blood cell count. Such cancer patients have a higher risk of febrile neutropenia. The present study aimed to validate whether there was a risk of neutropenia in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, Nepal.

Methods

Cross-sectional study was performed among 203 cancer patients of all age groups who attended Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital from May 2018 to January 2019 and who received a chemotherapy course. Patients receiving at least one cycle of chemotherapy as the first-line treatment were included. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25. Loglinear analysis was used to analyze more than 2×2 categories among the grades and outcome of neutropenia. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to analyze the impact of various predictor variables such as chemotherapy cycles, grades of neutropenia, and gender on the outcome of neutropenia. Variation in the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) level at various days of chemotherapy cycles was assessed with the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The p-value <0.05 was considered significant at each condition.

Results

The main cancer type during the study period was breast cancer (41, 20.2%). Out of 163 neutropenic patients, 149 had severe neutropenia and 14 had mild neutropenia. Most patients were continued up to the 6th cycle of chemotherapy. There was significant association between the grade of neutropenia and the outcome of the condition (p-value 0.017). There were significant relations of the grade of neutropenia and smoking habit with the recovering status (p values 0.033 and 0.001, respectively). The absolute neutrophil count (ANC) level increased and decreased inconsistently (statistically non-significantly) in between treatment period of day 1 to 52.

Conclusion

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia was a common occurrence. Majority (133, 66.5%) grade 4 neutropenic patients were recovering after the chemotherapy cycles. The physicians are warranted that they be ready for any unpredictable situation during chemotherapy treatment.

Primary peg-filgrastim prophylaxis versus filgrastim given "on demand" for neutropenia during therapy with cladribine for hairy cell leukemia

BACKGROUND

Major advances in the treatment of patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) have been made following the introduction of purine analogues. The major significant short-term toxicity of cladribine therapy are neutropenia and neutropenic fever (NF) which may be life-threatening.

AIM

In this retrospective study, we compared the incidence and duration of neutropenia and hospitalization in patients with HCL treated with cladribine followed by peg-filgrastim as primary prophylaxis versus daily filgrastim given "on demand" according to absolute neutrophil count (ANC).

METHODS

Medical records of patients with HCL diagnosed and followed in 12 medical centers in Israel during 1985-2015 were examined for details of disease at diagnosis. The efficacy of peg-filgrastim and filgrastim was assessed by evaluating the incidence of neutropenia (ANC < 1.0 × 10 [9]/L), number and length of hospitalizations, and number of days from the last day of therapy to recovery of ANC to >1.0 × 10 [9]/L.

RESULTS

The study population included 202 patients with HCL, 159 of whom (80.7%) were treated with cladribine; 78 patients (49%) required hospitalization for the administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics due to NF. Twenty-eight (19%) patients were treated with peg-filgrastim as primary prophylaxis, while 74 (64%) received filgrastim "on demand" due to neutropenia. Median length of hospitalization, and nadir duration were 8 and 18 days respectively (p = 0.71, p = 0.44).

CONCLUSIONS

Infectious complications post-cladribine treatment remain high. No difference was found in terms of incidence of NF, number of febrile days, and nadir duration in patients receiving primary peg-filgrastim prophylaxis compared to filgrastim given on demand. Both approaches are justifiable, and the choice remains at the physician's discretion.

Evidence-Based Use of Colony-Stimulating Factors in Elderly Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND

Neutropenia and its complications represent the major dose-limiting toxicity of cancer chemotherapy, especially in the elderly. Hematopoietic growth factors have been shown to reduce the severity and duration of febrile neutropenia (FN) and to sustain chemotherapy dose intensity.

METHODS

A systematic review was undertaken of studies of the relationship between age and the risk of neutropenia and its complications. Recent studies of the "Awareness of Neutropenia in Chemotherapy Study Group" related to the impact of age on neutropenic complications are also summarized.

RESULTS

The risk of FN associated with standard regimens increases with age and appears to be greatest during the first cycle of chemotherapy. FN continues to have a considerable clinical, economic, and quality-of-life impact on affected individuals. The risk of mortality associated with hospitalization with FN also increases with age but is largely associated with the higher rate of comorbidities observed in the elderly population. Despite increasing evidence that elderly patients experience similar benefit from cancer chemotherapy, reductions in dose intensity often compromise response rates and long-term survival. The hematopoietic growth factors reduce the risk of neutropenic events and the need for reduced dose intensity in elderly cancer patients. Primary prophylaxis with colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) reduces the risk of FN and its complications in elderly patients receiving moderately intensive systemic chemotherapy for responsive malignancies. CSFs also appear to reduce cost and improve quality of life in selected elderly patients receiving chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary prophylaxis with CSFs should be considered in elderly patients with responsive and potentially curable malignancies who receive moderately intensive chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia among pediatric cancer patients in Egypt: Risks and consequences

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) is the major dose-limiting toxicity of systemic chemotherapy and it is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and treatment cost. The aim of the present study was to identify the risk factors that may predispose pediatric cancer patients who receive myelosuppressive chemotherapy to CIN and associated sequelae. A total of 113 neutropenia episodes were analyzed and the risk factors for CIN were classified as patient-specific, disease-specific and regimen-specific, while the consequences of CIN were divided into infectious and dose-modifying sequelae. The risks and consequences were analyzed to target high-risk patients with appropriate preventive strategies. Among our patients, 28% presented with a single neutropenia attack, while 72% experienced recurrent attacks during their treatment cycles. The mean absolute neutrophil count was 225.5±128.5 ×109/l (range, 10-497 ×109/l), starting 14.2±16.3 days (range, 2-100 days) after the onset of chemotherapy and resolving within 11.2±7.3 days, either with (45.1%) or without (54.9%) granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). No significant association was observed between any patient characteristics or disease stage and the risk for CIN. However, certain malignancies, such as acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), neuroblastoma and Burkitt's lymphoma, and certain regimens, such as induction block for ALL and acute myelocytic leukemia, exerted the most potent myelotoxic effect, with severe and prolonged episodes of neutropenia. G-CSF significantly shortened the duration of the episodes and enhanced bone marrow recovery. Febrile neutropenia was the leading complication among our cases (73.5%) and was associated with several documented infections, particularly mucositis (54.9%), respiratory (45.1%), gastrointestinal tract (38.9%) and skin (23.9%) infections. A total of 6% of our patients succumbed to infection-related complications. Neutropenia was responsible for treatment discontinuation (13.3%), dose delay (13.3%) and dose reduction (5.3%) in our patients. The mean cost for each episode in our institution was 9,386.5±6,688.9 Egyptian pounds, which represented a significant burden on health care providers.

Revisiting use of growth factors in myelodysplastic syndromes

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent a heterogeneous group of clonal hematologic neoplasms characterized by morphologic dysplasia, aberrant hematopoiesis and peripheral blood refractory cytopenias. MDS is recognized to be associated with an increased risk of symptomatic anemia, infectious complications and bleeding diathesis, as well as a risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia, particularly in patients with a high IPSS score. The advent of use of hematopoietic growth factors such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) has improved symptoms in MDS patients in addition to some data that suggest there might be an improvement in survival. G-CSF is an effective therapeutic option in MDS patients, and it should be considered for the management of refractory symptomatic cytopenias. G-CSF and EPO in combination can improve outcomes in appropriate MDS patients such as those with lower-risk MDS and refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts (RARS) . This article reviews use of growth factors for lower-risk MDS patients, and examines the data for G-CSF, EPO and thrombopietic growth factors (TPO) that are available or being developed as therapeutic modalities for this challenging disease.

Prevention of neutropenia-related events in elderly patients with hematological cancer

The aging of the population makes it necessary to define more precisely the needs of elderly patients in terms of anticancer therapy as the number of older cancer patients is expected to increase. There is evidence that many elderly cancer patients can benefit from relatively aggressive treatments, provided major side effects can be prevented or treated. In patients with hematological malignancies, infection is the most common and threatening complication resulting from chemotherapy administration. Discussion of the prevention of infection in the setting described above is the aim of this paper.

Epidemiology of febrile neutropenia

Febrile neutropenia (FN) continues to represent a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and cost in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. The reported rates of FN vary considerably among studies depending on the treatment regimen, delivered dose intensity, and patient population. The risk of initial FN appears to be highest during the first cycle of chemotherapy and is greatest in certain high-risk groups including elderly patients and those with various comorbidities. Febrile neutropenia continues to have considerable clinical, economic, and quality-of-life impact on affected patients. The risk of mortality associated with FN continues to be relatively high in patients with hematologic malignancies, patients presenting with comorbid illnesses, and patients with bacteremia, pneumonia, or other infection-related complications. The reduction in chemotherapy dose intensity that frequently follows an episode of FN may have considerable life-threatening impact on disease control in responsive and potentially curable malignancies. The economic burden of FN is substantial, with the greatest proportion of the cost associated with the relatively limited number of patients hospitalized for prolonged periods as a result of comorbidities or complications. The colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) may reduce the risk and cost associated with cancer treatment by reducing the probability of hospitalization with FN. Primary prophylaxis with the CSFs may be warranted in patients receiving intensive regimens or in those at greater risk because of age or comorbidities. Further study of various risk factors for FN should help identify patients at greatest risk and likely candidates for targeted use of the hematopoietic growth factors.

Comparative effectiveness of white blood cell growth factors on neutropenia, infection, and survival in older people with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with chemotherapy

OBJECTIVES

To determine the effect of colony-stimulating factor (CSF) on incidence of febrile neutropenia, infection, and survival in older people with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) treated with chemotherapy.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database.

PARTICIPANTS

Thirteen thousand two hundred twenty-three people diagnosed with NHL at age 65 and older (mean age 74.9, range 65-102) in 1992 to 2002 who received chemotherapy within 12 months of diagnosis.

MEASUREMENTS

Primary prophylaxis was defined as CSF administered at the start of chemotherapy before febrile neutropenia or infection; secondary prophylaxis was defined as CSF use after febrile neutropenia or infection.

RESULTS

Participants with five to nine administrations of primary prophylactic CSF had a 42% lower risk of febrile neutropenia (odds ratio (OR)=0.58, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.41-0.83), and participants with 10 or more administrations had a 48% lower risk (OR=0.52, 95% CI=0.36-0.76) after adjusting for age, stage, histology, and comorbidity. Results did not differ significantly after adjusting for propensity score of receiving CSF. There was no significant association between primary prophylactic CSF and overall survival, but secondary prophylactic CSF was significantly associated with better survival. Four to 10 administrations of secondary prophylactic CSF was associated with 9% lower mortality risk (hazard ratio (HR)=0.91, 95% CI=0.84-0.99), 11 to 23 administrations was associated with 23% lower mortality risk (HR=0.77, 95% CI=0.71-0.84) and 24 or more administrations was associated with 13% lower mortality risk (HR=0.87, 95% CI+0.79-0.95) than in participants not receiving CSF after neutropenia or infection.

CONCLUSION

Primary prophylactic CSF was observed to be effective in reducing the incidence of neutropenia and infection. These findings substantiate the clinical guidelines for recommending prophylactic CSF in older people with NHL receiving chemotherapy.

Prevention of febrile neutropenia in chemotherapy-treated cancer patients: Pegylated versus standard myeloid colony stimulating factors. Do we have a choice?

The pertinent literature on clinical studies comparing the respective value of myeloid colony stimulating factors to pegfilgrastim as a prevention of febrile neutropenia in chemotherapy-treated cancer patients has been reviewed. Pegfilgrastim is definitely not inferior to filgrastim or other myeloid colony stimulating agents with respect to duration of grade IV neutropenia and delivery of full chemotherapy dose on time; several comparative studies indicate a trend to less frequent febrile neutropenia with pegfilgrastim.

Should the indications for the use of myeloid growth factors for the prevention of febrile neutropenia in cancer patients be extended?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Prevention of infectious complications of chemotherapy-induced granulocytopenia is a major issue in preventive medicine, as febrile neutropenia is still associated with an overall 10% mortality and extensive morbidity and cost.

RECENT FINDINGS

The prescription of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors should not be determined according to a risk prediction of febrile neutropenia considering solely type of chemotherapy and according to cost-effectiveness; other factors appear now to be important for making the decision, namely age and the presence of various comorbid factors.

SUMMARY

It is likely that the consideration of these newly recognized risk factors and the availability of more affordable granulocyte colony-stimulating factors will lead, in the near future, to an extension of the presently recognized indications for the prescription of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors.

Canadian supportive care recommendations for the management of neutropenia in patients with cancer

Hematologic toxicities of cancer chemotherapy are common and often limit the ability to provide treatment in a timely and dose-intensive manner. These limitations may be of utmost importance in the adjuvant and curative intent settings. Hematologic toxicities may result in febrile neutropenia, infections, fatigue, and bleeding, all of which may lead to additional complications and prolonged hospitalization. The older cancer patient and patients with significant comorbidities may be at highest risk of neutropenic complications. Colony-stimulating factors (csfs) such as filgrastim and pegfilgrastim can effectively attenuate most of the neutropenic consequences of chemotherapy, improve the ability to continue chemotherapy on the planned schedule, and minimize the risk of febrile neutropenia and infectious morbidity and mortality. The present consensus statement reviews the use of csfs in the management of neutropenia in patients with cancer and sets out specific recommendations based on published international guidelines tailored to the specifics of the Canadian practice landscape. We review existing international guidelines, the indications for primary and secondary prophylaxis, the importance of maintaining dose intensity, and the use of csfs in leukemia, stem-cell transplantation, and radiotherapy. Specific disease-related recommendations are provided related to breast cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer, and gastrointestinal cancer. Finally, csf dosing and schedules, duration of therapy, and associated acute and potential chronic toxicities are examined.

Determining therapeutic approaches in the elderly with rectal cancer

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the toxicity and feasibility of pelvic radiotherapy (RT) and/or surgery in elderly patients with locally advanced low-lying rectal cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From November 1999 to November 2005, 51 patients aged >or=70 years who underwent RT for locally advanced low-lying rectal cancer were retrospectively examined. Variables considered were age, co-morbidities (evaluated according to the Charlson score and the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatric [CIRS-G] score) and surgery versus no surgery.

RESULTS

The median age was 80 years (range 70-94 years) and the male : female ratio was 33 : 18. A total of 5.9% of patients were considered 'fit', 72.5% had one or more CIRS-G grade 1 or 2 co-morbidities and 21.6% had one or more CIRS-G grade 3 co-morbidities. 54.9% of patients underwent surgery and 45.1% underwent RT. Only 9 of 21 (42.8%) patients who underwent radical resection received the full course of adjuvant RT and only seven (50%) of all patients treated with RT alone received the full dose of therapy. Patients with one or more CIRS-G grade 3 co-morbidities reported similar numbers of grade 1-2 toxicities as patients with one or more CIRS-G grade 2 co-morbidities.

CONCLUSION

Notwithstanding the small number of patients analysed, the findings of this study indicate that elderly patients with rectal cancer and mild co-morbidities could probably receive the same treatment as fit elderly patients, given that tolerability appeared to be similar in both categories of patients. Neither age nor co-morbidities should be considered reasons to deny the patient the possible benefits of receiving complete treatment. Moreover, Multidimensional Geriatric Assessment should always be undertaken to help clinicians make better decisions about treatment. Further prospective trials are needed to confirm these results.

Quality of life in elderly cancer patients

The incidence of most types of cancer is age-dependent and progressive ageing is rapidly increasing the number of elderly people who need treatment for cancer. Elderly patients (older than 70 years) present particular characteristics that make the choice of the correct treatment more difficult; for this reason, these patients are often undertreated and largely underrepresented in cancer trials making the experimental evidence on this topic even weaker. Only relatively recently has Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) begun to be considered as one of the hard end-points for clinical cancer research in the elderly. Treatment of elderly cancer patients represents a typical situation where its assessment is particularly useful because of the expected toxicity of treatment and several unresolved methodological problems (higher frequency of illiteracy, worse compliance with the questionnaires, concomitant diseases, use of instruments not validated in the aged population). The aim of this review is to underline the importance detected by the too small number of studies on elderly QoL evaluation and the need in future trials either to improve QoL assessment in this subcategory of patients undergoing treatment for cancer or not, or find specific assessment tools to do it.

Pegfilgrastim to support CHOP-14 in elderly patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

This study investigated whether pegfilgrastim support would enable on-schedule delivery of dose-dense cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP-14) to elderly patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Thirty patients 60 years of age and older with aggressive NHL were evaluated after receiving up to six cycles of CHOP-14 supported with pegfilgrastim. The median age was 68 years (range 61 - 74). Forty-seven per cent of patients received full dose chemotherapy on schedule for all cycles (range 65 - 93). Chemotherapy was delayed in 10 patients and dose reduced in 15 patients. Hematological toxicity was the most common reason for delays and dose reduction. Six of nine patients (67%) achieved a peripheral blood CD34+ count of at least 20 cellsx106 L-1 on day 12 of cycle one. The delivery on schedule of dose-dense CHOP-14 to elderly patients with previously untreated aggressive NHL is safe and efficacious with once per cycle pegfilgrastim support.

Perioperative prophylaxis with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in high-risk colorectal cancer patients for an improved recovery: A randomized, controlled trial

BACKGROUND

We aimed to improve the postoperative outcome of high-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists class 3 and 4) recovering from colorectal cancer surgery by using recombinant human G-CSF (filgrastim) as perioperative prophylaxis.

METHODS

In a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, 80 patients undergoing left-sided colorectal resection were randomized to filgrastim or placebo. Filgrastim (5 mug/kg) or placebo was administered in the afternoon on day -1, 0, and +1 relative to the operation. Primary endpoints were in a hierarchic order: quality of life (QoL) over time (determined at discharge, 2 and 6 months after operation with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire) and the McPeek recovery score, which measures death and duration of stays in the intensive care unit and hospital. Predefined secondary endpoints were global QoL, subdomains of QoL, postoperative recovery, duration of stay, 6-month overall survival, complication rates, and cellular and immunologic parameters.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in both primary endpoints between the treatment groups. A significant improvement (P < .05) was obtained by filgrastim prophylaxis in the QoL subdomain family life /- social functioning,; thus, more patients recovered to their preoperative state (14 vs 4 with placebo) as determined by structured interviews. Duration of hospital stay (14 vs 12 days) and noninfectious complications were decreased from 8% to 3%.

CONCLUSIONS

High-risk patients undergoing major operation for colorectal cancer profited from filgrastim prophylaxis with regard to duration of hospital stay, noninfectious complications, social QoL, and subjective recovery from operation. These endpoints, however, were secondary, and the primary endpoints (overall QoL and the McPeek index) did not show comparable benefits. A new confirmatory trial with the successful endpoints of this trial, as well as a cost analysis, will be needed to confirm the results before a general recommendation for the prophylactic use of G-CSF in high-risk cancer patients can be given.

Prophylactic colony-stimulating factors in children receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

The colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) are widely utilized to prevent neutropenic complications in both adults and children, but randomized controlled trials in the pediatric setting have reported varied results. A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis were conducted to definitively assess the impact of prophylactic CSFs on the risk of febrile neutropenia (FN) in pediatric oncology patients.

METHODS

MEDLINE was searched and references hand-searched through July 2004 for randomized controlled trials of prophylactic G-CSF or GM-CSF in pediatric oncology patients. Objectives, outcomes, and quality of the 16 included studies were extracted by two reviewers. Weighted summary estimates of relative risks (RR) were calculated for FN and documented infection (DI). Mean differences in hospitalization, antibiotic use, and duration of neutropenia were calculated.

RESULTS

FN occurred in 68% of 400 controls and 59% of 404 CSF patients. The estimated RR was 0.88 [0.81-0.97; (P=0.01)] favoring the CSFs for leukemia and high grade lymphoma studies and 0.71 [0.51-0.97; (P=0.03)] for solid tumor studies. DI occurred in 25% of controls and 20% of CSF patients for an estimated RR of 0.80 [0.61-1.06; (P=0.12)]. The mean decrease in duration of neutropenia was 3.5 days [2.2-4.7; (P<0.0001)]. Mean decreases favoring CSF use were also observed for hospital stay of 1.7 days [0.9-2.5 (P<0.01)] and antibiotic use of 2.0 days [0.4-3.6; P=0.02].

CONCLUSIONS

Prophylactic CSFs significantly decrease the incidence of FN and the durations of severe neutropenia, hospitalization, and antibiotic use in pediatric cancer patients, but they do not significantly decrease documented infections.

2006 update of recommendations for the use of white blood cell growth factors: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline

PURPOSE

To update the 2000 American Society of Clinical Oncology guideline on the use of hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors (CSF).

UPDATE METHODOLOGY

The Update Committee completed a review and analysis of pertinent data published from 1999 through September 2005. Guided by the 1996 ASCO clinical outcomes criteria, the Update Committee formulated recommendations based on improvements in survival, quality of life, toxicity reduction and cost-effectiveness.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The 2005 Update Committee agreed unanimously that reduction in febrile neutropenia (FN) is an important clinical outcome that justifies the use of CSFs, regardless of impact on other factors, when the risk of FN is approximately 20% and no other equally effective regimen that does not require CSFs is available. Primary prophylaxis is recommended for the prevention of FN in patients who are at high risk based on age, medical history, disease characteristics, and myelotoxicity of the chemotherapy regimen. CSF use allows a modest to moderate increase in dose-density and/or dose-intensity of chemotherapy regimens. Dose-dense regimens should only be used within an appropriately designed clinical trial or if supported by convincing efficacy data. Prophylactic CSF for patients with diffuse aggressive lymphoma aged 65 years and older treated with curative chemotherapy (CHOP or more aggressive regimens) should be given to reduce the incidence of FN and infections. Current recommendations for the management of patients exposed to lethal doses of total body radiotherapy, but not doses high enough to lead to certain death due to injury to other organs, includes the prompt administration of CSF or pegylated G-CSF.

G-CSF in the Prevention of Febrile Neutropenia in Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients

The most common chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of breast cancer are anthracyclines and taxanes. The major dose-limiting toxicities associated with these agents are myelosuppression and associated febrile neutropenia (FN). FN can significantly impact the ability to deliver full-dose chemotherapy on schedule and as a result may increase the risk of disease recurrence and eventual disease-related mortality. The use of granulocyte colony stimulating factors (G-CSFs) significantly improves the management of FN, both in a therapeutic and in a prophylactic approach. Nevertheless, the high cost of these agents limits their widespread prophylactic use. Therefore, the identification of patients who are at a higher risk of developing FN and who will benefit from the prophylactic use of G-CSFs has become the subject of several clinical and cost-effectiveness studies. Recently, new data have been accumulated concerning the risk of FN in different chemotherapy regimens, and different risk models have been developed to assess the neutropenic risk with all its complications. This article reviews and summarizes cutting-edge, disease-specific data as well as national and international guidelines regarding the use of G-CSFs to prevent chemotherapy-induced FN, with focus on the treatment of breast cancer.

Treatment of stage IV colorectal carcinoma in elderly patients

Colorectal adenocarcinoma ranks second as a cause of death due to cancer in the Western world. In Europe, 40% of patients with colorectal cancer are over 70 years old and the incidence increased through the 1980's. Without any treatment the median survival after the detection of liver metastases is approximately 9 months, depending on the extent of disease at the time of diagnosis but not on the patients age. In the elderly there are only few data apt to define the standard regimen in the advanced disease, but results seem similar to those observed in younger patients. As a result of exclusion criteria and screening, elderly patients entering clinical trials are usually a select group, with good performance status, access to transportation, and limiting numbers of coexisting conditions. This paper examines the factors pertinent to the small number of clinical trials designed for metastatic colorectal cancer in this group of persons.

Neulasta (pegfilgrastim): a once-per-cycle option for the management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia

Neutropenia is a significant hematologic complication induced by cytotoxic chemotherapy. The clinical consequences of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia are often severe and can be potentially life-threatening. Patients who develop febrile neutropenia often need to be hospitalized, reducing their quality of life and increasing costs. Neutropenia can also compromise the ability to deliver chemotherapy at the full dose and on schedule. To help prevent the occurrence of neutropenia, patients with a high risk of developing chemotherapy-related infections may be given prophylactic colony-stimulating factors. Filgrastim is a recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor that has been widely used (in over 3 million patients) for over 12 years in the management of neutropenia. Pegfilgrastim is an approved, long-acting, next generation of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor that has similar clinical benefits to filgrastim but has novel pharmacokinetic properties. Pegfilgrastim shows at least comparable safety and efficacy to filgrastim, with the added benefit of simplified once-per-chemotherapy-cycle dosing. In addition, two randomized, controlled pivotal trials have shown that a single dose of pegfilgrastim given once per cycle led to a lower observed incidence of febrile neutropenia following myelosuppressive chemotherapy, compared with daily injections of filgrastim. Clinical trials are currently expanding the clinical experience with pegfilgrastim in a variety of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. In addition to prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in 21- and 28-day regimens, future studies are examining the suitability of pegfilgrastim in dose-dense therapy and other cancer settings.

The use of colony stimulating factors in elderly patients with cancer

Hematological toxicity is the most common and the most frequent fatal complication of chemotherapy. It is observed with increased frequency with age, it is a significant independent predictor of the development of febrile neutropenia, and may contribute to a reluctance to administer chemotherapy in the elderly patient population. The authors analyze published data on effectiveness and results of the use of colony stimulating factors for preventing and treating elderly patients affected by tumors during chemotherapy.

Taxanes in elderly breast cancer patients

Breast cancer in elderly patients (70+) is a major health problem that will only increase in the future. Besides adequate local treatment and hormone therapy, there can be an indication for chemotherapy in this patient group. Due to concerns of excessive toxicity, there is often a defeatist attitude towards chemotherapy in elderly patients. As taxanes are considered to be the most effective drugs in breast cancer, and as the weekly regimens seem at least as effective as the 3-weekly regimens but with less toxicity, these weekly regimens are very attractive for elderly breast cancer patients. Many different doses have been used for the weekly taxane regimens in phase II trials. Although large comparative studies are lacking, pharmacological studies are suggestive for a decreased clearance of both paclitaxel and docetaxel in elderly patients compared to non-elderly patients. It seems therefore safe to use the lower range of proposed doses of the weekly regimens until further data provide stronger evidence for optimal dosing in elderly patients. A dose of paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2)/week and docetaxel 36 mg/m(2)/week seems tolerable for elderly patients without excessive toxicity and with impressive response rates. The dose limiting toxicity for 3-weekly taxanes, severe neutropaenia, is generally very limited in weekly regimens, also in the elderly or frail patients. However, neuropathy (paclitaxel) or fatigue and fluid retention (docetaxel) can be troublesome, and eventually require dose modifications. In general however, weekly taxanes are a reasonable option for older patients with metastatic breast cancer.

The economics of the colony-stimulating factors in the prevention and treatment of febrile neutropenia

Healthcare costs continue to rise with hospitalization representing the single largest component of direct medical costs associated with cancer care. Neutropenia and its complications including febrile neutropenia remain the major dose-limiting toxicity associated with systemic cancer chemotherapy. Febrile neutropenia often occurs early in the course of chemotherapy and is associated with substantial morbidity, mortality and cost. The colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) have been used effectively in a variety of clinical settings to prevent or treat febrile neutropenia and to assist patients receiving dose-intensive chemotherapy. A meta-analysis of the available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has confirmed the efficacy of prophylactic CSFs. Economic models based on measures of resource utilization derived from RCTs have provided estimates of expected treatment costs along with febrile neutropenia risk threshold estimates for the cost saving use of the CSFs. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential value of targeting the CSFs toward patients at greatest risk based on accurate and valid predictive models.

Pharmacology of anticancer drugs in the elderly population

Modifications to bodily functions and physiology are known to occur with age. These changes can have a considerable impact on the pharmacokinetic processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion and the pharmacodynamic properties of administered drugs. For many drugs with a high therapeutic index, this will be clinically unimportant, but for anticancer drugs, which usually have a low therapeutic index, these pharmacological changes can lead to dramatic consequences, such as excessive drug concentrations and unacceptable toxicity, or subtherapeutic drug concentrations and ineffective treatment. Despite the increased susceptibility of the elderly to these changes, doses are rarely adapted on the basis of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, with the exception of changes secondary to altered renal function. Until recently, only a few large prospective randomised trials have provided evidence-based data for dose adaptations in elderly patients. However, with increasing knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of anticancer drugs, advances in the knowledge of pharmacokinetic behaviour with aging, and documented efficacy and toxicity data in the elderly population, it is possible to highlight aspects of prescribing anticancer drugs in the elderly. In general, and for most drugs, age itself is not a contraindication to full-dose chemotherapy. The main limiting factors are comorbidity and poor functional status, which may be present in a significant number of the elderly population. Elderly patients with cancer are part of the daily practice of oncologists, but currently clinicians can often only estimate whether dose modification is advantageous for the elderly. This review attempts to elucidate the factors that can influence the pharmacokinetics of anticancer drugs frequently used in the elderly, and the clinical or biochemical parameters that form the basis for dose adjustments with age.

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia

Cytotoxic chemotherapy suppresses the hematopoietic system, impairing host protective mechanisms and limiting the doses of chemotherapy that can be tolerated. Neutropenia, the most serious hematologic toxicity, is associated with the risk of life-threatening infections as well as chemotherapy dose reductions and delays that may compromise treatment outcomes. The authors reviewed the recent literature to provide an update on research in chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and its complications and impact, and they discuss the implications of this work for improving the management of patients with cancer who are treated with myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Despite its importance as the primary dose-limiting toxicity of chemotherapy, much concerning neutropenia and its consequences and impact remains unknown. Recent surveys indicate that neutropenia remains a prevalent problem associated with substantial morbidity, mortality, and costs. Much research has sought to identify risk factors that may predispose patients to neutropenic complications, including febrile neutropenia, in an effort to predict better which patients are at risk and to use preventive strategies, such as prophylactic colony-stimulating factors, more cost-effectively. Neutropenic complications associated with myelosuppressive chemotherapy are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, possibly compromised treatment outcomes, and excess healthcare costs. Research in quantifying the risk of neutropenic complications may make it possible in the near future to target patients at greater risk with appropriate preventive strategies, thereby maximizing the benefits and minimizing the costs.

EORTC Cancer in the Elderly Task Force guidelines for the use of colony-stimulating factors in elderly patients with cancer

Increasing age is not, in itself, a contraindication to cancer chemotherapy. Myelosuppression, however, a common adverse consequence of the administration of many standard-dose chemotherapy regimens to both young and elderly patients with cancer, increases with age. The risk of development of febrile neutropenia may contribute to a reluctance to administer chemotherapy in the elderly patient population. We conducted a detailed literature search (1992-2002) to derive evidence-based conclusions on the value of prophylactic colony-stimulating factor (CSF) administration in elderly patients receiving chemotherapy. Sufficient evidence allows us to affirm that prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) reduces the incidence of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, febrile neutropenia and infections in elderly patients receiving myelotoxic chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) or urothelial tumours. Lack of available trial data does not allow similar conclusions to be drawn for other cancers studied, but it is likely that similar benefits would accrue from the use of prophylactic G-CSF. There is insufficient evidence to extend this recommendation to include the use of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). There are insufficient data available to allow the evaluation of the impact of prophylactic CSF on the incidence of toxic deaths in elderly patients with cancer and this is a crucial question for geriatric oncology practice. There is no evidence in elderly patients that the delivery of standard-dose chemotherapy on schedule improves efficacy measures. The data show that febrile neutropenic events are more likely to occur during the first and second cycles of chemotherapy, thus prophylactic measures should be considered early in the course of treatment. Furthermore, since systematic dose reduction can impact on outcome, primary prophylactic use of G-CSF for all elderly patients receiving curative myelotoxic chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (CHOP) or CHOP-like) is indicated and we suggest a risk-adapted strategy with primary prophylactic G-CSF administration in high-risk patients. Dose intensification, through dose interval reduction, facilitated by prophylactic G-CSF, improved survival in elderly patients with some specific diseases. There is a need for further well-designed studies to identify the elderly patients who will benefit most from prophylactic G-CSF. To achieve this, we strongly urge the design of and participation in further trials.

Aging and the hemopoietic system

While increasing numbers of elderly patients are expected to require chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in the future, the application of standard-dose chemotherapy in unselected cohorts of older patients usually results in a higher rate of life-threatening myelosuppression and treatment-related deaths compared to young individuals treated with the same chemotherapy regimens. The biologic mechanisms underlying reduced tolerance to chemotherapy of the hemopoietic system in older individuals are still poorly understood. Unveiling such mechanisms therefore represents a fundamental issue to ameliorate chemotherapy strategies for older cancer patients. Current evidence suggests that aging-related bone marrow changes are rather subtle and most probably irrelevant for the hemopoietic function of normal older individuals. These changes, however, may become clinically evident under conditions of severe hemopoietic stress such as the administration of repeated courses of chemo-radiotherapy. The mechanisms underlying age-dependent decline in the hematopoietic reserve are not fully clarified and probably involve age-associated changes in the stem and progenitor cells compartments which may ultimately lead to a reduced ability of recovery from hematologic stress. Age-related changes in endogenous anti-tumor immune responses also need to be accounted for in the aim of managing residual disease in elderly cancer patients treated with effective chemo-radiotherapy. Since dendritic cells (DCs) generated from older individuals appear fully functional, dendritic cell-based immunotherapy may represent an important tool to treat residual disease in aged cancer patients. While it is clearly established that primary prophylaxis with hemopoietic growth factors currently enables a large fraction of older cancer patients to receive appropriate chemotherapy, innovative strategies in the use of such growth factors may allow time-intensification of standard-dose chemotherapy for treating chemosensitive tumors, i.e. non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs), occurring in older individuals.

Cost-effectiveness of sentinel lymph node biopsy in thin melanomas

BACKGROUND

Consideration of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is recommended for thin melanomas with poor prognostic features; however, few metastases are identified. The purpose of this study was to assess the cost effectiveness of SLNB in this population.

METHODS

The prospective melanoma database was reviewed to identify patients with melanomas <1.2 mm thick who had undergone SLNB. Physician and hospital charges were collected from the appropriate billing department.

RESULTS

A total of 138 patients were identified over an 8-year period (1994-2002). Two patients with positive SLNs were identified (1.4%), one with a melanoma <1 mm thick. Patient charges for SLNB ranged from $10,096 to $15,223 US dollars, compared with $1000 to $1740 US dollars for wide excision as an outpatient. Using these charges, the cost to identify a single positive SLN would be between $696,600 and $1,051,100 US dollars. The cost for wide excision would be between $69,000 and $120,100 US dollars. Assuming that all patients with a positive SLN would die of melanoma, the cost per life saved would be $627,000 to $931,000 US dollars.

CONCLUSIONS

The cost of performing SLNB in this population is great and only a small number will have disease identified that will alter treatment. These data call into question the appropriateness of SLNB for thin melanomas.