כימוטרפיה-לא הלעלות

The American Society of Clinical Oncology has developed revised guidelines for the use of white blood cell growth factors - also known as haematopoietic colony stimulating factors, or CSFs - to prevent a potentially dangerous side effect from cancer treatment called febrile neutropaenia.

Advertisement
White blood cell growth factors are proteins that help the body produce the white blood cells that help fight infection. Some cancer treatments can destroy white blood cells, leading to a condition called neutropaenia. Febrile neutropaenia - or neutropaenia with a fever - is a dangerous condition that often requires hospitalisation.

ASCO's 2006 Update Committee agreed that reduction in febrile neutropaenia is an important goal that justified the use of CSFs when the risk of febrile neutropaenia is 20 percent or higher, and no other effective chemotherapy regimen with a risk of febrile neutropaenia lower than 20 percent is available. The previous guideline had recommended CSF use when the risk of febrile neutropaenia was 40 percent or higher, the society said in a prepared statement.

"CSFs are supportive medications, which means they are not intended to treat the cancer, but rather to prevent patients from developing dangerous side effects from cancer treatment," said Dr Thomas J. Smith, lead author of the guidelines and a medical oncologist with Virginia Commonwealth University's Massey Cancer Centre.

The guidelines also include new recommendations for the use of CSFs for patients receiving radiation treatment and for older patients; and updates on recommendations for patients with specific diseases, such as acute leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, and for paediatric patients. - (HealthDayNews)

Visit our Cancer Centre for more information.

May 2006
Print this article on

Rate this article
Poor 1 2 3 4 5 Excellent

Send this to a friend

Today's top stories
BEAT THOSE GERMS THIS WINTER

ASPARTAME GIVEN ALL CLEAR

ANATOMY OF DREAD UNVEILED

MELATONIN MAY IMPROVE SLEEP

PREGNANCY SALT REDUCTION NO BONUS

STROKE: RESVERATROL COULD PROTECT

NEW CANCER GUIDELINES