Advances in Cancer Therapy: New Insights from Netherlands, United States, and Austria

Pediatric cancer patients may benefit from new cancer therapies as research studies from the Netherlands, the United States, and Austria show promising results. Netherlands researchers found that pegfilgrastim, a long-lasting form of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, can be safely administered to pediatric cancer patients to prevent neutropenia, a major side effect of chemotherapy. In the United States, scientists investigated the use of aprepitant to control chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in adolescents, with encouraging results. Meanwhile, Austrian researchers discovered that pegfilgrastim can reduce the number of subcutaneous injections required in pediatric patients with Ewing sarcoma.

Key Takeaways:

• Pegfilgrastim, a once-per-cycle dosage of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, can be safely administered to pediatric cancer patients to prevent neutropenia, with a treatment delay rate of only 6% due to neutropenia.
• Aprepitant, an antiemetic medication, showed significant subjective improvement in nausea and vomiting as well as quality of life in two adolescent patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy.
• The use of pegfilgrastim reduced the number of subcutaneous injections in pediatric patients with Ewing sarcoma to one per cycle, improving the efficacy of chemotherapy and reducing treatment burden.
• The researchers concluded that pegfilgrastim is feasible in pediatric cancer patients and that the neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist aprepitant may be effective in controlling chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in adolescents.
• The results of these studies suggest that new cancer therapies may offer improved treatment options for pediatric cancer patients, with fewer side effects and improved quality of life.

Statistics:

• 32 episodes of pegfilgrastim use in 7 pediatric cancer patients were reported by Netherlands researchers, with a treatment delay rate of 6% due to neutropenia.
• The duration of severe neutropenia in pediatric patients with Ewing sarcoma was comparable between pegfilgrastim and filgrastim.
• 5 children with Ewing sarcoma were alternately treated with a single 100 mcg/kg pegfilgrastim dose or daily doses of 10 mcg/kg filgrastim in the Austrian study.
• Aprepitant was added to the antiemetic regimen of 2 adolescent patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy, resulting in significant subjective improvement in nausea and vomiting as well as quality of life.

Sources:

• J Pediatr Hematol Oncol (2005);27(11):627-629 (Tepoele et al.)
• Pediatr Blood Cancer (2005);45(6):857-860 (Smith et al.)
• J Pediatr Hematol Oncol (2005);27(8):449-451 (Wendelin et al.)