G-CSF (filgrastim) as an adjunct to MOPP/ABVD therapy in Hodgkin's disease

The main objective of this study was to assess to what extent filgrastim (G-CSF, Amgen-Roche) can facilitate administration of the full dose intensity of MOPP/ABVD chemotherapy to patients with Hodgkin's disease. Sixteen patients with Hodgkin's disease were treated with MOPP/ABVD and filgrastim support between January 1992 and March 1994. Twenty-five patients treated with MOPP/ABVD 1987-1991 served as historical controls. The two groups were well matched for age, gender, stage, performance status and histological subgroups, but in the study group more patients had B-symptoms (p < 0.05). Dose intensity (DI) was calculated in mg/m2/week and the intended average dose was designated as 1. The planned average DI was reached by 8/16 patients in the study group but by only 1/25 in the control group (p < 0.001). The reasons for decreased DI in the study group were neutropenia (n = 5), thrombocytopenia (2 pts) and neurotoxicity (n = 1). In the control group the reason for decreased DI was neutropenia (n = 24). In the study group 15/16 patients achieved Complete Response (CR), 2/15 relapsed and 15/16 were surviving after a median follow-up 31 (6-48) months. In the control group 25/25 patients attained CR, 5/25 relapsed and 20/25 were surviving after a median follow up 67 (12-100) months. No severe toxicity was observed during filgrastim therapy. To conclude, the dose intensity during MOPP/ABVD therapy was significantly higher if filgrastim was administered, but the additional benefit that this confers remains to be determined. A large scale, retrospective analyses of treatment response and actual dose-intensity should help answer this question and give guidance as to if and when hematopoietic growth factors should be administered to patients with Hodgkin's disease.