A prospective, randomized clinical trial of emergency treatment of chemotherapy‐induced neutropenia and febrile neutropenia by pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (PEG‐rhG‐CSF)

Aims As one of the mainstays of breast cancer therapy, chemotherapy inevitably induces neutropenia. In this study, we explored the role of PEG‐rhG‐CSF (pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor) in the emergency treatment of chemotherapy‐induced grades 3–4 neutropenia. Methods A total of 100 patients with breast cancer were randomized (1:1) into the study. Fifty patients randomized to the experimental group were treated with PEG‐rhG‐CSF after grades 3–4 neutropenia following the first cycle of chemotherapy, while 50 patients randomized to the control group received a daily injection of rhG‐CSF (recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor). The primary endpoint was the recovery time of grades 3–4 neutropenia. Results Compared with patients in the control group, the mean ± SD recovery time of grades 3–4 neutropenia and febrile neutropenia (FN) was significantly shorter for patients in the experimental group (grades 3–4, P = .000; grade 4, P = .000; FN, P = .038). There is no significant difference in the incidence of FN for the two groups. In the experimental group, the duration of grades 3–4 neutropenia in patients aged <60 years and ≥60 years was 2.15 and 3.20 days, respectively ( P = .037). Adverse events (AEs) of any grade were reported in 37 (75.5%) and 28 (59.6%) patients from the two groups, respectively. No grade ≥3 AEs were reported. Conclusion This study supported that the PEG‐rhG‐CSF was more effective and convenient than rhG‐CSF for treating grades 3–4 neutropenia and FN in patients with breast cancer and had manageable toxicity.