Same day Pegfilgrastim and CHOP chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma

To determine if "same day" Pegfilgrastim (Pf) with CHOP chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma impacts on nadir white blood count (WBC) levels or on the nadir day.

Ten patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with CHOP-R; CHOP with liposomal Doxorubicin replacing H; or CVAD received 'same day' Pf in a minimum of one cycle of chemotherapy to a maximum of 6 cycles with 8 of 10 patients receiving same day Pf for some but not all cycles allowing for comparison of nadir WBC levels within patients.

A total of 43 cycles of chemotherapy were reviewed. Same day Pf was administered with 21 of 43 cycles in all 10 patients with 8 of 10 receiving 22 cycles without Pf as well. White blood count nadir level and nadir day were compared in 9 patients in whom same day Pf was or was not administered in selected cycles. One patient experienced febrile neutropenia in a single cycle. Median nadir count and nadir day for cycles delivered with same day Pf was 1500 cells/ml (range, 200-11,000) at 14 days (range, 7-14 days). Median nadir count and nadir day cycles not delivered with same day Pf was 1600 cells/m and day 14 (range, 7-14), respectively. Four of 21 cycles (19%) delivered with same day Pf were associated with grade 4 leukopenia compared with 2 of 23 cycles (9%) delivered without same day Pf. With regard to the total 10 patient population 4 patients had a grade 4 leukopenia experience with same day Pf and 2 patients had a grade 4 leukopenia experience without same day Pf. Grade 4 leukopenia had a median nadir day of 7.

Same day Pf may accentuate neutropenia in some patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma receiving standard CHOP or CHOP-R chemotherapy but expanded studies are necessary to establish this point definitively. The accentuated neutropenia may be related to the specific chemotherapy regimen or drug, eg, cyclophosphamate since same day Pf was safe with regimens in which a non alkylating agent (taxane, gemcitabine, navelbine, cisplatin) was used with a weekly chemotherapy dosing schema and did not generate accentuated neutropenia.