[Neutropenia induced by taxoids and its control with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor]

Nowadays, the use of taxoid derivated compounds constitutes one of the main chemotherapeutic weapons against breast cancer, ovarian cancer and non-microcytic lung cancer. The limiting factor when determining the dose of taxoids to be administered is the occurrence of neutropenia which is a common side-effect of this therapy. That is why we propose this retrospective study in which we assessed docetaxel and paclitaxel induced neutropenia in oncologic patients by means of colony stimulating factors consumption. A systematic revision of filgastrin consumption by patients treated with taxoids during 2003 in the Infanta Cristina Hospital (Badajoz, Spain) was performed. Filgastrin consumption data were obtained individually, considering its dispensation to external patients as well as the possible administration during hospital stay. 22 out of the 140 patients treated with paclitaxel required colony stimulating factor. On the other hand, 27 out of 116 patients treated with docetaxel received filgastrin. The relation between filgastrin (micrograms) and taxoid consumption (milligrams) was 1.35 for paclitaxel and 4.17 for docetaxel. Taking into account each patient taxoids consumption (milligrams), the results were 7.09 for paclitaxel and 20.12 for docetaxel. When selecting the patients who suffer from breast cancer and lung cancer, these ratios were 0.76 for paclitaxel and 6.48 for docetaxel. The docetaxel group consumed 2.83 more colony stimulating factor than the pacitaxel group. This ratio was even greater (3.1) when ovarian cancer patients were excluded. These results showed an unfavorable relation for docetaxel, thus confirming that the use of docetaxel provokes a greater incidence and severity of neutropenia.