Use of Hematopoietic Growth Factors - Hematopoietic Growth Factors

Use of Hematopoietic Growth Factors

Over the past 15 years, a new class of drugs has been available to boost marrow function: the hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs). These growth factors are a major triumph for recombinant technology. Available HGFs are erythropoietin (EPO) to increase red blood cell (RBC) production; granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to increase granulocyte production; and interleukin-11 (IL-11) to increase platelet numbers. Other HGFs in clinical trials for which published data exist are stem cell factor, macrophage-CSF (M-CSF), IL-3, and thrombopoietin. Because they are costly, and may have side effects, careful patient selection for their use is necessary, and only after a search for correctable causes for the cytopenia has been undertaken. All patients on chemotherapy whose blood count drops may, however, become eligible for the use of HGFs. Appropriate use for these agents is discussed in this chapter.

National guidelines published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) exist for G-CSF and GM-CSF,1,2 and a joint American Society of Hematology (ASH)/ASCO guideline has been published for the use of EPO.3,4

Copyright 2002
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation