Pegfilgrastim Maintains Relative Dose Intensity and Decreases Hospitalisations in Patients With Endometrial Cancer.

Chikazawa, Kenro; Imai, Ken; Ito, Takaki; Kimura, Azusa; Hiroyoshi, K O; Miho, Yokota; Kuwata, Tomoyuki; Konno, Ryo

BACKGROUND/AIM Data are limited regarding the use of pegfilgrastim in gynaecologic oncology. We evaluated its efficacy for maintaining dose intensity during chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively examined the data of 65 women (26 pegfilgrastim users) who underwent primary surgical treatment for stages IB-IV endometrial cancer and had adjuvant chemotherapy containing platinum and taxane; the primary outcome was a relative dose intensity ≥85%. RESULTS In the pegfilgrastim vs. the control group, body mass index (26.6±5.9 vs. 23.4±4.4), rate of relative dose intensity ≥85% (88.5% vs. 15.4%), plus other adverse event incidences were significantly higher; rate of neutropenia, total hospital visits during chemotherapy (11.0±2.1 vs. 18±5.6 days), unscheduled hospital visits (1.1±1.8 vs. 5.8±5.1 days), and unscheduled granulocyte colony-stimulating factor injections (0.58±1.7 vs. 6.4±5.1 days) were significantly lower. CONCLUSION Pegfilgrastim can maintain a dose intensity of ≥85% during chemotherapy for the treatment of gynaecologic cancers and decrease hospital-visit frequency.