[Growth factors in oncology: effectiveness and prospects]

The hematopoietic growth factors G-CSF and GM-CSF stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of myeloid precursor cells leading to an accelerated granulocytic regeneration after chemotherapy and to a shortened duration of "febrile neutropenia". Criteria for the clinical application should be defined which take the advantage for the comfort of the patient and the economic aspect into account. The American Society for Clinical Oncology has published recommendations for the treatment with hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors, which are useful with the exception of the proposal to reduce the chemotherapy dose with the goal to save expensive CSF treatment. The use of CSF for treatment of afebrile and uncomplicated neutropenia should be reduced.