Melphalan Febrile Neutropenia Risk Factors

Masahiro Yasuda1, Tomoya Tachi, Tomohiro Osawa

  • 1Dept. of Pharmacy, Gifu Municipal Hospital.

Insights

Elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LD) levels before melphalan (L-PAM) therapy significantly predict febrile neutropenia (FN) risk in multiple myeloma patients. Close monitoring is crucial for patients with LD > 222 U/L to prevent severe FN.

Area of Science:

  • Hematology
  • Oncology
  • Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

  • Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a serious complication of chemotherapy.
  • Melphalan (L-PAM) is frequently used for multiple myeloma (MM).
  • Identifying predictive factors for FN in L-PAM therapy is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify risk factors for febrile neutropenia (FN) onset in patients receiving melphalan (L-PAM) therapy for multiple myeloma (MM).

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 39 multiple myeloma patients treated with L-PAM.
  • Assessment of complete blood count and liver function tests prior to therapy.
  • Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify significant risk factors for FN (Grade 3 or higher).

Main Results:

  • Lactate dehydrogenase (LD) level > 222 U/L prior to L-PAM therapy was identified as a significant risk factor for FN onset.
  • The odds ratio for FN in patients with elevated LD levels was 6.33 (95% CI: 1.12-35.8, p=0.037).
  • Low white blood cell count (<3.3×103/μL) was not a significant independent predictor in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusions:

  • Patients with pre-treatment lactate dehydrogenase (LD) levels exceeding 222 U/L are at significantly higher risk of developing febrile neutropenia (FN) during melphalan (L-PAM) therapy.
  • Close monitoring for FN is recommended for multiple myeloma patients with elevated LD levels before initiating L-PAM treatment.
  • These findings aid in optimizing patient monitoring strategies and potentially mitigating FN complications in L-PAM treated patients.