Predictive factors for neutropenia after docetaxel-based systemic chemotherapy in Korean patients with castration-...

The aim of this study was to determine predictive factors for neutropenia after docetaxel-based systemic chemotherapy in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The study included 40 Korean CRPC patients who were treated with several cycles of docetaxel plus prednisolone from May 2005 to May 2012. Patients were evaluated for neutropenia risk factors and for the incidence of neutropenia. In this study, nine out of forty patients (22.5%) developed neutropenia during the first cycle of docetaxel-based systemic chemotherapy. Four experienced grade 2, three grade 3, and one grade 4 neutropenia. Multivariate analysis showed that pretreatment white blood cell (WBC) count (p=0.042), pretreatment neutrophil count (p=0.015), pretreatment serum creatinine level (p=0.027), and pretreatment serum albumin level (p=0.017) were significant predictive factors for neutropenia. In conclusion, pretreatment WBC counts, neutrophil counts, serum creatinine levels, and serum albumin levels proved to be significant independent risk factors for the development of neutropenia induced by docetaxel-based systemic chemotherapy in patients with CRPC.