Tumour Lysis Syndrome: Implications for Cancer Therapy

The tumour lysis syndrome (TLS) is a group of metabolic abnormalities caused by rapid and unexpected releaseof cellular components into the circulation as a result of massive destruction of rapidly proliferating malignantcells. It usually develops in patients with hematologic malignancies like acute lymphoid leukemia, non-Hodgkinand Burkitt’s lymphoma after initiation of chemotherapy or may, rarely, occur spontaneously. Though TLS isseldom observed in relation to solid tumours, there have been reports of connections with examples such aslung, liver, breast, gastric carcinomas. The clinical manifestations of TLS include hyperuricemia, hyperkalemia,hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia. These indications if untreated lead to life-threatening complications suchas acute renal failure, cardiac arrhythmias, seizures, and eventually death due to multiorgan failure. Thereforeearly detection of TLS is of vital importance. This can be accomplished by identification of high risk patients,implementation of suitable prophylactic measures andmonitoring of the electrolyte levels in patients undergoingchemotherapy.     

实体瘤溶解综合征

肿瘤溶解综合征是血液系统肿瘤治疗中常见的并发症,但在实体瘤中较少见,其发病隐匿,极易误诊、漏诊,预后差.实体瘤溶解综合征典型的临床特征为高尿酸血症、高钾血症、高磷血症和低钙血症,并发症主要为急性肾功能衰竭和心律失常.对高危患者进行预防性干预、早期诊断和积极治疗是改善预后的关键.本文回顾既往文献报道的87例实体瘤溶解综合征,对其发病情况、预防和治疗进行综述.     

Acute tumor lysis syndrome in solid tumors—a case report and review of the literature

PURPOSE: Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a potential complication in cancer therapy. It may occur in highly sensitive tumors, especially in childhood cancers and acute leukemias, whereas it is rare in the treatment of adult solid tumors. TLS is characterized by hyperuricemia, hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia following massive lysis of malignant cells. Complications include acute renal failure and metabolic acidosis. We report the first case of TLS during chemotherapy in a patient with metastatic medulloblastoma, together with a review of the literature regarding the occurrence of TLS in patients with solid tumors. METHODS: Data regarding clinical and biochemical parameters were extracted from the actual patients' files. Reports of TLS in the English language literature up to 2002 were identified by searching Medline. RESULTS: A 23-year old male with metastatic medulloblastoma received chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide due to massive extracerebral manifestations including metastases to the liver, mediastinal lymph nodes and bone marrow metastases. The patient developed classical signs of TLS on the second day of chemotherapy, including acute renal failure. A 17-fold increase in plasma LDH up to 87608 U/l was observed together with a 4-fold increase in plasma creatinine. The patient was treated with aggressive hydration, allopurinol and repeated hemodialysis. During the following days the patient improved and the biochemical markers all returned to normal. REVIEW. Reviewing the literature, a total of 45 patients with solid tumors who developed TLS have been reported. Most of the patients presented with metastatic, therapy-sensitive disease. Although preventable in practically 100% of patients, TLS is a potentially fatal complication, and in this material the mortality rate was one in three. Risk factors included increased LDH, hyperuricemia and pretreatment azotemia. CONCLUSIONS: TLS is only rarely associated with treatment of solid tumors. Precautions should be taken to avoid this potentially fatal complication in (chemo)therapy of solid tumors, especially in therapy-sensitive tumors presenting with bulky, metastatic disease and preexisting risk factors, including azotemia, elevated LDH and hyperuricemia. Prophylactic treatment to avoid TLS includes allopurinol, hydration prior to treatment and alkalization of the urine. Urate oxidase (rasburicase) is now beginning to replace allopurinol as a more effective way of reducing hyperuricemia and thereby the risk of TLS.     

Tumor Lysis Syndrome in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia with Novel Targeted Agents

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is an uncommon but potentially life‐threatening complication associated with the treatment of some cancers. If left untreated, TLS may result in acute renal failure, cardiac dysrhythmia, neurologic complications, seizures, or death. Tumor lysis syndrome is most commonly observed in patients with hematologic malignancies with a high proliferation rate undergoing treatment with very effective therapies. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), historically, TLS has been observed less often, owing to a low proliferation rate and slow response to chemotherapy. New targeted therapies have recently been approved in the treatment of CLL, including the oral kinase inhibitors, idelalisib and ibrutinib, and the B‐cell lymphoma‐2 protein inhibitor, venetoclax. Several others are also under development, and combination strategies of these agents are being explored. This review examines the diagnosis, prevention, and management of TLS and summarizes the TLS experience in CLL clinical trials with newer targeted agents. Overall, the risk of TLS is small, but the consequences may be fatal; therefore, patients should be monitored carefully. Therapies capable of eliciting rapid response and combination regimens are increasingly being evaluated for treatment of CLL, which may pose a higher risk of TLS. For optimal management, patients at risk for TLS require prophylaxis and close monitoring with appropriate tests and appropriate management to correct laboratory abnormalities, which allows for safe and effective disease control.

Implications for Practice

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a potentially fatal condition observed with hematologic malignancies, caused by release of cellular components in the bloodstream from rapidly dying tumor cells. The frequency and severity of TLS is partly dependent upon the biology of the disease and type of therapy administered. Novel targeted agents highly effective at inducing rapid cell death in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) may pose a risk for TLS in patients with tumors characterized by rapid growth, high tumor burden, and/or high sensitivity to treatment. In this review, prevention strategies and management of patients with CLL who develop TLS are described.     

Effectiveness of Single-dose Rasburicase in Patients With Lymphoid Malignancies at a High Risk for Tumor Lysis Syndrome

BackgroundTumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a life-threatening disorder that occurs mainly in patients with high-tumor burden hemato-oncologic malignancies. It results in metabolic derangements, including hyperuricemia and acute renal failure. The powerful management for TLS is a daily dose of rasburicase for up to 5 days before chemotherapy; however, the optimal dose and duration of rasburicase for TLS prophylaxis have not been standardized for patients at high risk for TLS. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of single-dose rasburicase for prophylactic purposes in patients with malignant lymphoma at high risk for TLS.Patients and MaterialsWe retrospectively evaluated patients with malignant lymphoma at high risk for TLS treated with a prophylactic single-dose of rasburicase (0.1-0.2 mg/kg) from March 2012 to March 2016.ResultsA total of 67 patients treated with a single-dose of rasburicase for prophylaxis were analyzed. A relatively large number of patients (n = 23; 34.3%) had the highly proliferative lymphoblastic lymphoma subtype (n = 14) or Burkitt lymphoma (n = 9) and were at the highest risks of tumor lysis. Two patients were newly diagnosed with TLS; the incidence of TLS after single-dose prophylaxis was 3.0%. Multivariate analysis revealed no predictable risk factors for response to prophylactic rasburicase, though increased level of serum creatinine approached statistical significance in reducing the efficacy of single-dose rasburicase to prevent TLS (odds ratio, 3.61; P = .054).ConclusionOur data indicated that single-dose rasburicase effectively prevented progression of TLS, and, regardless of any risk factors, including increased creatinine, single-dose rasburicase for TLS prophylaxis was useful in patients with lymphoma at a high risk for TLS.     

Tumour lysis syndrome in children: experience of last decade

The strategy against tumour lysis syndrome (TLS) had been hyperhydration, urine alkalinization, and allopurinol. Recently, rasburicase was added to the armament against this life-threatening condition. In Korea, rasburicase is used as a rescue therapy for cases with allopurinol-resistant hyperuricemia, because of the restriction by the National Health Insurance. We reviewed our experiences to re-assess the risk factors of TLS and the efficacy of rasburicase. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for 396 children who were diagnosed as positive with acute leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma between the years 2000 and 2009. The risk factors for TLS were analyzed statistically, and those before and after the availability of rasburicase were compared. Sixty eight patients (17.2%) had TLS. Multivariate analysis showed that pre-chemotherapy hypophosphatemia was a risk factor for TLS, in addition to the known risk factors of hyperuricemia and high lactate dehydrogenase concentration. The availability of rasburicase as a rescue therapy did not negate the importance of uric acid as a risk factor of TLS. Rasburicase as a second line treatment for intractable hyperuricemia was not effective in reducing the incidence of TLS. Pre-chemotherapy hypophosphatemia was a significant independent risk factor for TLS.     

The management of tumor lysis syndrome

The manifestation of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) occurs when the destruction of tumor cells releases breakdown products that overwhelm the excretory mechanisms of the body. A cardinal sign is hyperuricemia, leading to uric acid nephropathy. Other signs are hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia and secondary hypocalcemia. Conventional management of TLS consists of aggressive intravenous hydration, diuretic therapy, urinary alkalization, and inhibition of urate production by high-dose allopurinol. Urate oxidase has been used in the management of patients at risk for TLS and recently the recombinant urate oxidase rasburicase was developed. Several data indicate that rasburicase is effective and well tolerated in the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced hyperuricemia. Treatment options of hyperkalemia include sodium polystyrene sulfonate, hypertonic glucose and insulin, loop diuretics, and bicarbonate. Treatment of hyperphosphatemia reduces dietary phosphate intake and includes phosphate binders such as aluminum hydroxide and aluminum carbonate. When recurrent hypocalcemia is present, a continuous intravenous infusion of calcium gluconate can be initiated. Hemodialysis should be considered for every patient with excessively elevated uric acid, phosphate and/or potassium and in those patients with acute renal failure to control urinary volume and manage uremia.     

Hyperuricemia in Patients with Cancer

Hyperuricemia is a common early complication in patients with hematological malignancies treated with intensive chemotherapy. It results from the breakdown of nuclear proteins leading to increased blood levels of hypoxanthine and xanthine. These compounds are degraded into uric acid by the enzyme xanthine oxidase. Because the mechanisms of excretion of uric acid are limited in humans and blood levels are near saturation level, a common complication of hyperuricemia is renal failure resulting from the deposition of uric acid in renal tubules. When renal insufficiency occurs in conjunction with other metabolic aberrations, such as hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, and hypocalcemia, this process is termed tumor lysis syndrome. Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, particularly Burkitt’s lymphoma, are at greatest risk because of the high sensitivity of the cells to chemotherapy. Other factors associated with increased risk of hyperuricemia and tumor lysis syndrome include hyperleukocytosis, massive organomegaly, renal enlargement, extrinsic compression of the genitourinary tract, and elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase activity. Conventionally, patients at risk of developing hyperuricemia receive alkalinized fluids and allopurinol, an inhibitor of the enzyme xanthine oxidase. These measures have been effective in reducing mortality associated with metabolic complications during tumor lysis in the majority of the cases. However, as many as 25% of patients at high-risk of developing tumor lysis syndrome require dialysis, and some of them have the treatment course altered because of these complications. Recently, a synthetic recombinant form of the enzyme urate oxidase, rasburicase has become available in the US. This enzyme acts directly on urate and degrades it to allantoin, a much more soluble compound.     

Current understanding of tumor lysis syndrome

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is an oncologic emergency from the intracellular release of material in lysing malignant cells. The earlier it is treated, the less likely it is to be harmful to an individual and spread through the body. Common complications of TLS include arrhythmias, which are caused by hypocalcemia or hyperkalemia, renal failures due to hyperuricemia or hyperphosphatemia, and seizures. Furthermore, the risk to develop TLS varies widely based on several factors including factors that are related to disease, the patient, and the treatment of the patient. Laboratory data can be used to gauge the severity of TLS based on patient serum levels for specific markers. On the contrary, evidence of TLS via radiological imaging and electrocardiogram findings has been a limited way to evaluate TLS, indicating the need for further research in this area. Common trends of treatment have also been seen in the past several years, evident by case studies seen in the following literature review.     

Rasburicase (recombinant urate oxidase) for the management of hyperuricemia in patients with cancer: report of an international compassionate use study

BACKGROUND: Hyperuricemia and tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) are serious complications that can occur during chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies, even if standard management procedures, including administration of allopurinol, are undertaken. Rasburicase, a recombinant urate oxidase that converts uric acid (UA) into the soluble compound allantoin, has been shown to control hyperuricemia faster and more reliably than allopurinol.(1) METHODS: A compassionate use trial, running from January 1999 to December 2001, provided access to rasburicase for patients in nine countries who were at risk for TLS during the initiation of chemotherapy. Of the 280 patients enrolled in the study, 278 received rasburicase and were included in the analysis. A total of 166 pediatric patients who had leukemia (approximately 74%), lymphoma (approximately 24%), or solid tumors (approximately 3%) were treated with rasburicase. One hundred twelve adults with either leukemia (68%) or lymphoma (30%) also were treated. Rasburicase (0.20 mg/kg) was administered intravenously once a day for 1 to 7 days, at the investigator's discretion. Two doses daily could be administered during the first 3 days. A response was defined as a reduction in UA level or maintenance of a UA level less than 7.5 mg/dL (or less than 6.5 mg/dL, for children age < 13 years). RESULTS: UA levels at 24-48 hours after administration of the last dose of rasburicase were available for 122 pediatric patients and 97 adult patients. The mean UA level in 29 hyperuricemic children decreased from 15.1 mg/dL to 0.4 mg/dL, whereas in 27 hyperuricemic adults, the mean level decreased from 14.2 mg/dL to 0.5 mg/dL. Prophylactic administration of rasburicase to prevent TLS during chemotherapy reduced UA levels from a mean of 4.4 mg/dL to 0.8 mg/dL in 93 nonhyperuricemic children and from 4.8 mg/dL to 0.4 mg/dL in 70 nonhyperuricemic adults (for all reductions in UA levels, P < 0.001). The response rate was 100%. Rasburicase was very well tolerated. Serious adverse events related to rasburicase were observed in one patient. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study confirm that rasburicase is safe and highly effective in the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced hyperuricemia in both children and adults.     

Allopurinol: intravenous use for prevention and treatment of hyperuricemia.

PURPOSE: To tabulate data obtained over a 21-year period to determine the efficacy and safety of an intravenous (IV) allopurinol preparation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: IV allopurinol was provided on a compassionate plea basis to patients of any age in whom xanthine oxidase inhibitor therapy was indicated as an adjunct to chemotherapy and for whom oral intake was restricted. Three hundred twenty-seven investigators at multiple hospitals in the United States treated 1,172 patients with IV allopurinol. The vast majority of these patients had a malignancy and were in danger of developing tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) and subsequent acute uric acid nephropathy (AUAN) and were unable to take oral allopurinol. Data referable to the time period of IV allopurinol administration were collected, collated, and analyzed retrospectively. There was no randomization. RESULTS: In patients initiating treatment for an elevated serum uric acid (SUA), the SUA normalized or improved in 87% of adult patients and normalized or improved in 95% of pediatric patients. IV allopurinol, administered prophylactically to patients at high risk of developing hyperuricemia and TLS, prevented an increase in SUA levels in 93% of adults and 92% of children. Toxicities caused by IV allopurinol were minimal and consisted of 10 instances of mild to moderate skin or allergic reactions. CONCLUSION: IV allopurinol is as efficacious and safe as oral allopurinol and will be of significant benefit to patients at risk of TLS and AUAN and unable to take oral medication.     

Tumor lysis syndrome following hemi-body irradiation for metastatic breast cancer

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a rare serious acute complication of cancertherapy, reported mainly following chemotherapy in patients with large tumorload and chemosensitive disease. These are mainly patients with non-Hodgkin'slymphoma, leukemia and rarely in solid tumors. It is less frequently describedafter radiotherapy for lymphoid and hematological malignancies. TLS followingradiotherapy for solid tumors is a very rare complication. In thisreport/review we describe a seventy-three-year-old male patient withprogressive metastatic carcinoma of the breast to the lungs, liver and bone.He was referred for radiotherapy because of generalized bony pains. Thepatient was planned for sequential hemi-body irradiation starting with themore symptomatic upper half body. After premedication, he was given 8.5 Gy tothe mid point at the maximum chest separation with anterior lung attenuatorlimiting uncorrected lung dose to 6.15 Gy. A further 3.5 Gy electron boost tothe fungating breast tumor was given to the 100%.Forty-eight hours after irradiation he developed hyperkalemia,hyperphosphatemia, hyperuricemia, hypocalcemia and renal failure. Theseclinical and biochemical changes are typical of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS).Despite hydration, and treating the hyperuricemia, the patient developed comaand died eight days after irradiation.The prophylaxis and management of TLS and in high-risk patients aredescribed to avoid this frequently fatal complication.     

急性淋巴细胞白血病并发肿瘤溶解综合征7例

目的 :探讨急性淋巴细胞白血病 (AL L )患者化疗后发生肿瘤溶解综合征 (TL S)的临床特征。方法 :对 7例化疗发生 TL S的 AL L患者进行各项生化指标的分析。结果 :TL S患者表现为高尿酸血症、高血钾、高血磷、低血钙 ,并有不同程度的肾功能损伤 ,其中 1例发生了急性肾功能不全。用别嘌呤醇及静脉碱化利尿后 ,6例短期内血生化指标恢复正常。1例死于心衰。结论 :早期诊断并及时给予别嘌呤醇及静脉碱化利尿是治疗 TL S的关键     

Spontaneous tumor lysis syndrome in a patient with cholangiocarcinoma

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a potentially deadly complication of tumors or their treatment. This syndrome consists of a constellation of laboratory parameters such as hyperuricemia, hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, and hypocalcemia and clinical complications such as seizures, acute renal insult, cardiac dysrhythmias and death. TLS is especially common in patients with hematological malignancies with rapid cellular turnover rates such as acute lymphocytic leukemia and Burkitt lymphoma, but is very rare in patients with solid tumors. However, it is essential to keep in mind that solid tumors can also lead to TLS. We present a case of a 66-year-old African American male with metastatic cholangiocarcinoma complicated by the development of spontaneous TLS. TLS has never been reported in a patient with cholangiocarcinoma.     

A randomized trial of a single-dose rasburicase versus five-daily doses in patients at risk for tumor lysis syndrome

BackgroundTumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a life-threatening disorder characterized by hyperuricemia and metabolic derangements. The efficacy of rasburicase, administered daily for 5 days, has been well established. However, the optimal duration of therapy is unknown in adults.Patients and methodsWe evaluated the efficacy of rasburicase (0.15 mg/kg) administered as single dose followed by as needed dosing (maximum five doses) versus daily dosing for 5 days in adult patients at risk for TLS.ResultsEighty of the 82 patients enrolled received rasburicase; 40 high risk [median uric acid (UA) 8.5 mg/dl; range, 1.5–19.7] and 40 potential risk (UA = 5.6 mg/dl; range, 2.4–7.4). Seventy-nine patients (99%) experienced normalization in their UA within 4 h after the first dose; 84% to an undetectable level (<0.7 mg/dl). Thirty-nine of 40 (98%) patients in the daily-dose arm and 34 of 40 (85%) patients in single-dose arm showed sustained UA response. Six high-risk patients within the single-dose arm required second dose for UA >7.5 mg/dl. Rasburicase was well tolerated; one patient with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency developed methemoglobinemia and hemolysis.ConclusionsRasburicase is highly effective for prevention and management of hyperuricemia in adults at risk for TLS. Single-dose rasburicase was effective in most patients; only a subset of high-risk patients required a second dose.     

A predictive model for the detection of tumor lysis syndrome during AML induction therapy

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is defined by metabolic derangements occurring in the setting of rapid tumor destruction. In acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), TLS frequency, risk stratification, monitoring, and management strategies are based largely on case series and data from other malignancies. A single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted to estimate TLS incidence and identify TLS predictive factors in a patient population undergoing myeloid leukemia induction chemotherapy. This study included 194 patients, aged 18-86 years, with AML or advanced myelodysplastic syndrome undergoing primary myeloid leukemia induction chemotherapy. Nineteen patients (9.8%) developed TLS. In univariate analysis, elevated pre-chemotherapy values for uric acid (P < 0.0001), creatinine (P = 0.0025), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P = 0.0001), white blood cell (P = 0.0058), gender (P = 0.0064) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia history (P = 0.0292) were significant predictors. In multivariate analysis, LDH (P = 0.0042), uric acid (P < 0.0001) and gender (P = 0.0073) remained significant TLS predictors. A predictive model was then designed using a scoring system based on these factors. This analysis may lay the groundwork for the development of the first evidence-based guidelines for TLS monitoring and management in this patient population.     

Challenges in the management of Burkitt's lymphoma

Burkitt's lymphoma and small noncleaved Burkitt's-like lymphoma are rare and are highly aggressive forms of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that are characterized by dysregulation of the c-myc oncogene. Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) also appear to be at risk for developing Burkitt's lymphomas. Treatment options for Burkitt's lymphoma involve complex chemotherapy regimens that contain as many as 10 cytotoxic agents. Approximately 50%-80% of adult patients with Burkitt's lymphoma or small, noncleaved lymphoma can be cured with these intensive chemotherapy regimens, and in pediatric populations, the cure rate is even higher. However, a number of factors often compromise the outcome of patients with Burkitt's lymphoma. For instance, the high proliferation rate of Burkitt's lymphoma enhances the risk for tumor lysis syndrome, which results from metabolic imbalances, such as hyperuricemia, that occur as large numbers of malignant cells are lysed during cytotoxic chemotherapy. Standard treatment for tumor lysis syndrome includes adjustments in the chemotherapy regimen, vigorous hydration, administration of a uric acid synthesis inhibitor like allopurinol, and alkalinization. The administration of recombinant urate oxidase (rasburicase) also has been shown to provide effective prophylaxis against hyperuricemia in pediatric and adult patients with hematologic malignancies. The lifetime risk of developing central nervous system disease is 20%-30% for Burkitt's lymphoma. Consequently all chemotherapy regimens with activity in Burkitt's lymphoma utilize some form of central nervous system prophylaxis, such as systemic or intrathecal methotrexate or cytarabine. In the past, patients with HIV who developed Burkitt's lymphoma often received inadequate chemotherapy doses because of their immunosuppression. With the discovery of highly active antiretroviral therapy, the ability to treat and control Burkitt's lymphoma in patients with HIV has improved.     

How we treat tumor lysis syndrome

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is an oncology emergency that occurs as a result of rapid tumor cell breakdown and the consequent release of massive amounts of intracellular contents, including potassium, phosphate, and uric acid, into the systemic circulation. These metabolic disturbances lead to life-threatening conditions and may cause sudden death if not treated. TLS commonly occurs following initiation of cytotoxic treatment in patients with high-grade lymphomas or acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Spontaneous cases involving both solid and hematologic tumors have also been reported. Rarely, TLS occurs following treatment with irradiation, corticosteroids, hormonal therapy, or biologic therapy. It is necessary to identify patients at risk for TLS early in order to initiate preventive measures. In the event that preventive measures fail, the clinical parameters and signs of TLS must be understood and recognized so that treatment can begin as soon as possible, as this condition is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality.     

Complications from staging laparotomy for hodgkin disease

Nonspecific complications from staging laparotomy are usually related to general anesthesia or abdominal exploration. Specific complications for the procedure do exist: intubation difficulties during administration of anesthesia to patients with untreated mediastinal disease, sepsis in up to 20% of patients, depending on stage of disease and intensity of postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy, arterial and possibly venous thromboemboli from extensive retroperitoneal node dissection, pancreatitis, small bowel obstruction from adhesions to node biopsy sites, operative mishaps, subphrenic abscesses, and bleeding from liver biopsies. Certain patient subpopulations are at especially high risk for some of these complications and their identification and possible measures to minimize such problems are proposed.     

Guidelines of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network on the use of myeloid growth factors with cancer chemotherapy: a review of the evidence

The prophylactic use of myeloid growth factors reduces the risk of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and its complications, including febrile neutropenia and infection-related mortality. Perhaps most importantly, the prophylactic use of colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) has been shown to reduce the need for chemotherapy dose reductions and delays that may limit chemotherapy dose intensity, thereby increasing the potential for prolonged disease-free and overall survival in the curative setting. National surveys have shown that the majority of patients with potentially curable breast cancer or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) do not receive prophylactic CSF support. In this issue, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network presents guidelines for the use of myeloid growth factors in patients with cancer. These guidelines recommend a balanced clinical evaluation of the potential benefits and harms associated with chemotherapy to define the treatment intention, followed by a careful assessment of the individual patient's risk for febrile neutropenia and its complications. The decision to use prophylactic CSFs is then based on the patient's risk and potential benefit from such treatment. The routine prophylactic use of CSFs in patients receiving systemic chemotherapy is recommended in patients at high risk (>20%) of developing febrile neutropenia or related complications that may compromise treatment. Where compelling clinical indications are absent, the potential for CSF prophylaxis to reduce or offset costs by preventing hospitalization for FN should be considered. The clinical, economic, and quality of life data in support of these recommendations are reviewed, and important areas of ongoing research are highlighted.