Myelosuppression is an inevitable consequence of the treatment with almost all chemotherapeutic agents, and neutropenia is a major contributing factor of infection and mortality in cancer patients. To assess the period of neutropenia and
associated
morbidity after chemotherapy in patients with solid tumor, we evaluated 29 patients from May 1990 to December 1991.
@ES The results were as follows:
@EN 1) The mean WBC nadir count was 520.7±266.4/㎣, the mean interval from the day 1 of chemotherapy to WBC counts less than 1,000/㎣was 13.6±9.6 days.
2) The mean interval from the day 1 of chemotherapy to WBC counts more than 1,000/㎣, was 17.6±6.0 days, and the mean duration of grade IV neutropenia was 5.3±2.9 days.
3) The mean platelet nadir count was 93,183±74,952/㎣, and the incidence of thrombocytopenia(<100,000/㎣) was 59%).
4) The incidence of the febrile neutropenia was 48%, and the mean duration of febrile neutropenia was 2.9±0.7 dyas.
5) The sources of infection were sepsis in 3 cases, urinary tract infection in 1 case and unidentifiable in others. Among the 3 patients with sepsis, 2 patients died during their febrile neutropenic period.
Myelosuppression is a major complication of chemotherapy and renders the patients susceptible to fatal infection. We think that the application of supportive cares including appropriate antibiotics are necessary to reduce the mortality associated
with
infection and it should be considered the use of hematopoietic growth factor for reduction of severity and duration of neutropenia in the future.
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