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Myelosuppression, particularly febrile neutropenia (FN), are serious dose-limiting toxicities that occur frequently during the first cycle of chemotherapy. Identifying patients most at risk of developing FN might help physicians to target prophylactic treatment with colony-stimulating factor (CSF), in order to decrease the incidence, or duration, of myelosuppression and facilitate delivery of chemotherapy as planned. We present a risk model for FN occurrence in the first cycle of chemotherapy, based on a subgroup of 240 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) enroled in our European prospective observational study. Eligible patients had an International Prognostic Index of 0–3, and were scheduled to receive a new myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimen with at least four cycles. Clinically relevant factors significantly associated with cycle 1 FN were older age, increasing planned cyclophosphamide dose, a history of previous chemotherapy, a history of recent infection, and low baseline albumin (<35 g/l). Prophylactic CSF use and higher weight were associated with a significant protective effect. The model had high sensitivity (81%) and specificity (80%). Our model, together with treatment guidelines, may rationalise the clinical decision of whether to support patients with CSF primary prophylaxis based on their risk factor profile. Further validation is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary. Death during the induction phase of chemotherapy remains a common event in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). In a series of patients with aggressive NHL homogeneously treated with intensive induction chemotherapy [ACVB (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vindesine, bleomycin, prednisone) regimen], we determined the clinical and biological parameters that were predictive of early death. Early death was defined as death, for whatever reason, occurring within 100 d of randomization. Predictive factors were identified by logistic regression and an index predictive for individual risk of early death was designed. Among the 2210 patients treated with ACVB, there were 162 (7·3%) early deaths. There was no significant reduction in the rate of early death between 1987 and 1998. In a multivariate analysis, age > 60 years, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status > 1, serum lactate dehydrogenase > normal, serum albumin < 30 g/l, leucocyte counts > 10 × 109 /l and haemoglobin levels < 8·5 g/dl were found to be independent predictive factors for early death. An early death index was designed, enabling the evaluation of the individual risk of early death in young (range 2–31% risk of early death) and elderly patients (range 5–53%). Clinical and biological parameters available at diagnosis can help physicians identify patients with aggressive lymphoma at low or high risk of early death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]