Neutropenic event risk and impaired chemotherapy delivery in six European audits of breast cancer treatment.

Schwenkglenks M, Jackisch C, Constenla M, Kerger JN, et al. Support Care Cancer 2006; 14(9):901-9

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-006-0034-9

 

This publication represents the successful conclusion of the first INC-EU-led study. Six retrospective European audits of breast cancer chemotherapy were combined into a dataset of 2,860 individual patients. Neutropenic events (NEs) occurred frequently and affected treatment delivery, underlining the importance of early prophylaxis. Summation dose intensity (SDI) was used to compare different chemotherapy regimens on a single scale and was shown for the first time to be a predictor of NE occurrence. In addition to SDI, age, number of planned chemotherapy cycles, concomitant radiotherapy administration and first cycle NE (in the case of NEs occurring from cycle 2 onwards) constituted a drug independent indicator of NE risk.