Neutropenia: occurrence and management in women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy

Abstract

Objectives to identify the prevalence, and describe the management of, neutropenia throughout the chemotherapy treatment among women with breast cancer. Methods observational study, cycles of chemotherapy. 116 neutropenic events were recorded, and 63.3% of the patients presented neutropenia at some point of their treatment, 46.5% of these presenting grade II. The management used was temporary suspension between the cycles and the mean number of delays was 6 days. The study was prospective and longitudinal, where the evaluation of the hematological toxicities was undertaken at each cycle of chemotherapy, whether neoadjuvant or adjuvant. Results 79 women were included, who received 572 cycles. However, the reasons for the suspensions were the lack of a space in the chemotherapy center, followed by neutropenia. Conclusion neutropenia is one of the most common and serious adverse events observed during the chemotherapy. Nursing must invest in research regarding this adverse event and in management strategies for organizing the public health system, so as to offer quality care.

Incidence of neutropenia induced by chemotherapy in the treatment of colorectal cancer

“…A study on the occurrence and management of neutropenia in women with breast cancer is in line with the results of this research, regarding the need for nursing empowerment in the care of these patients, also revealing that nurses can contribute for patients to perform treatment according to the stipulated schedule, through the standardization of care, promotion of the use of colony stimulating factor and assistance in clinical decision making (27) .…”

Chemotherapy induced neutropenia and febrile neutropenia among breast cancer patients in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria

“…The PRAXIS prospective multicentre study observed a 4.3% incidence of FN among 734 patients [22] and a European multinational neutropenia study that included 444 breast cancer patients reported an FN incidence of 6% [23]. Other recent single centre studies have even reported much higher values, with one Brazilian group reporting as high as a 63.3% [24] incidence of CIN (N = 79), a study from France with 524 breast cancer patients reported a 17% incidence of FN [25] and a UK study of 325 patients showing a 19% incidence of FN [26]. The risk of developing neutropenia during chemotherapy increased significantly with age, ECOG performance score of >1 and bone metastasis.…”

Bacterial Pneumonia in Patients with Cancer

“…Although chemotherapy-induced neutropenia is most commonly associated with treatment of hematologic malignancies and conditioning regimens for HSCT, a number of regimens to treat solid tumors also cause neutropenia [74-77]. …”