The role of granulocyte growth factors in the treatment of non small cell lung cancer

Abstract

In the past years granulocyte growth factors have been introduced in clinical practice. Their use is intended to reduce the risk of infection related to chemotherapy and to increase the dose-intensity of chemotherapy agents. Very few randomized trials have been reported in advanced non small cell lung cancer on chemotherapy plus or minus granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. No benefit for granulocyte growth factors use was observed in terms of response rate and survival. Recently, several investigators used growth factors to support new promising drug combinations including vinorelbine, gemcitabine, taxol or taxotere. However, outside controlled clinical trials the role of granulocyte growth factors in the treatment of non small cell lung cancer should be within the American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines.