Combination chemotherapy with G-CSF, M-CSF and EPO: successful treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia without blood transfusion at lower medical costs

• Published in: Acta haematologica Vol. 100; no. 1; p. 57
• Main Authors: Kaito, K, Kobayashi, M, Sakamoto, M, Shimada, T, Masuoka, H, Nishiwaki, K, Saeki, A, Sekita, T, Otsubo, H, Hosoya, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 1998
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Blood Transfusion; Costs and Cost Analysis; Erythropoietin - therapeutic use; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor - therapeutic use; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - drug therapy; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - economics; Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Remission Induction
• ISSN: 0001-5792
• DOI: 10.1159/000040865

A 55-year-old Jehova's Witness was treated for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) by intensive chemotherapy with enocitabine, 6-mercaptopurine and daunorubicin. G-CSF, M-CSF and EPO were subsequently administered. Even though no blood transfusion was given for religious reasons, complete remission was achieved without serious infection and hemorrhage. The total cost for induction chemotherapy was less expensive than is the case for elderly AML patients. This case indicates that the administration of cytokines might reduce the incidence of infection and the necessity for blood products, which would result in favorable cost effectiveness for the treatment of elderly patients with AML.