Neutropenia in Patients Treated with Rituximab

To the Editor: Rituximab is effective in B-cell lymphomas either as a single agent or combined with chemotherapy. Its toxic effects are generally mild and transient. 1 , 2 We report eight cases of acute and severe neutropenia that occurred 8 to 23 weeks after the administration of rituximab for non-...

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Published inThe New England journal of medicine Vol. 348; no. 26; pp. 2691 - 2694
Main Authors Voog, Eric, Morschhauser, Franck, Solal-Céligny, Philippe
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Massachusetts Medical Society 26.06.2003
Subjects
Adult
Aged
Antibodies, Monoclonal - adverse effects
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects
Female
Humans
Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - drug therapy
Lymphoma, B-Cell - drug therapy
Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - drug therapy
Male
Middle Aged
Neutropenia - chemically induced
Rituximab
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Summary:To the Editor: Rituximab is effective in B-cell lymphomas either as a single agent or combined with chemotherapy. Its toxic effects are generally mild and transient. 1 , 2 We report eight cases of acute and severe neutropenia that occurred 8 to 23 weeks after the administration of rituximab for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukemia. All patients had a normal polymorphonuclear-cell count before rituximab treatment (Table 1). None of the known causes of neutropenia were found. Previous treatment with rituximab two to four months before the development of neutropenia was a common factor in these eight patients, which suggests that rituximab . . .
ISSN:0028-4793
1533-4406
DOI:10.1056/NEJM200306263482620