Supportive care in children

To provide an update on the rational approach of febrile neutropenia in children with cancer and discuss future research aspects in the field.

Clinical and laboratory variables and new biomarkers associated with an increased risk for a severe outcome including invasive bacterial infection (IBI), sepsis, and mortality have been identified for children with cancer and febrile neutropenia. These variables and biomarkers are currently being used for an early risk assessment in order to identify children at low or high risk for IBI or at high risk for sepsis and death. Early identification of children with a differential risk has allowed the implementation of selective treatment regimens. More recently, host genetic differences have been associated with a differential risk for IBI. The individual gene profile based on selected polymorphisms could further fine-tune the early risk assessment allowing tailor-made management strategies.

In the last decades, efforts have focused on the stratification of the heterogeneous group of children with cancer and febrile neutropenia according to their risk for developing an IBI. This effort has allowed a less aggressive treatment strategy for children at low risk, including early hospital discharge and use of intravenous and oral antimicrobials at home. More recently, advances have been made in the early identification of children in the other spectrum of infection, those at high risk for sepsis and mortality, with the aim of rapid implementation of aggressive therapy.