The hematopoietic growth factors in acute leukemia: US perspective

The role of myeloid growth factors (GFs) in the management of acute leukemias has been evaluated extensively in multiple clinical trials. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) have been given prior to, concurrently with, and/or sequentially after the chemotherapy with the goal of reducing the duration of neutropenia and consequently, the incidence and severity of infections, as well as improving the rate of remissions and overall survival (OS). GFs have also been studied as chemotherapy-sensitizing agents, in an effort to recruit dormant myeloid stem cells into the sensitive phase of the cycle. Additionally, GFs, shown to stimulate proliferation and differentiation of leukemia cells in vitro, have been evaluated as monotherapy in patients with acute leukemia.