[Standards, options, and recommendations for the use of hematopoietic growth factors in oncology]

Four hematopoietic growth factors have marketing approval in France: filgrastime (G-CSF), malgraostime (GM-CSF), lenograstime (glycolysated G-CSF) and erythropoietin. A standards, options and recommendations document has not yet been established for erythropoietin which is excluded from this report. Administration of hematopoietic growth factors can be proposed in five clinical situations: primary prophylaxis, secondary prophylaxis, curative care, after myeloablative chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell grafting, and finally mobilization of peripheral stem cells. Primary prophylaxis: excepting therapeutic trials, the use of hematopoietic growth factors is recommended for clinical situations where a significant incidence of neutropenia with fever has been reported in randomized trials and in rare cases where there is an increased risk of severe infectious complications. Hematopoietic growth factors are indispensable for increasing the quality of cytapheresis peripheral stem cell harvesting.