FATİH YILDIZ, AYŞEGÜL İLHAN, EMRAH ERASLAN, FERİT ASLAN, GÜLNİHAL TUFAN, BERNA ÖKSÜZOĞLU, UMUT DEMİRCİ
Turkish Journal of Oncology - 2020;35(2):206-210
OBJECTIVE Pegfilgrastim is a new generation on granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (G-CSF) with different pharmacokinetic properties. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the results of the use of pegfilgrastim as secondary prophylaxis. METHODS Between November 2016 and June 2019, a retrospective analysis of the patients who used pegfilgrastim with solid malignancies treated in the University of Health Sciences, Dr. A. Y. Ankara Oncology Hospital Department of Medical Oncology was performed. RESULTS A total of 148 patients were evaluated, and 33 (22.2%) of them were in the geriatric population (age>65). The majority of the patients (n=97, 65.5%) were diagnosed with breast carcinoma, and 93.2% (n=138) of all patients were treated with the intermediate-risk chemotherapy regimen. Pegfilgrastim was used as secondary prophylaxis for all of the patients. Despite pegfilgrastim prophylaxis, febrile neutropenia (FN) developed in four (2.7%) patients. Chemotherapy delay due to afebrile neutropenia occurred in eight patients (5.4%), and neutrophil counts returned to normal in mean 4.0 (3-5) days. When side effects were evaluated, 31 patients (20.9%) had pegfilgrastim-induced bone pain and two patients (1.3%) had redness in the injection site. CONCLUSION The low incidence of FN and chemotherapy delay, even in secondary prophylaxis with pegfilgrastim, suggests that pegfilgrastim is an effective agent in neutropenia prophylaxis.
