[Hematopoietic growth factors in antineoplastic therapy from the therapeutic and economic aspect]

Haematopoietic growth factors help patients with intense chemotherapy and patients after transplantation of bone marrow to overcome the critical stage of leucopenia. In the submitted paper the authors present more detailed data on the results of investigations evaluating G-CSF, GM-CSF and erythropoietin in patients with anti-tumourous treatment. Both leucocytic growth factors, G-CSF and GM-CSF shorten the period of leucopenia by approximately one week which means a substantial reduction of the number of infectious complications and also a reduction of the hospitalization period. The price of the mentioned growth factors which is still high as compared with the costs of intensive treatment of septicaemia in leukopenic patients. To the authors' surprise, comparing an equal period of time, treatment of septicaemia is associated with much higher costs than administration of G-CSF which can prevent sepsis or reduce its duration.