PHARMACOECONOMIC ISSUES IN THE USE OF GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR FOR BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION OR CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NEUTROPENIA

As new treatment options become available for patients with cancer or primary bone marrow failure, the additional economic burden that these treatments may place on the already stressed health care system raises concerns. Neutropenia is a major complication of these conditions and can add substantially to patient care costs. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a cytokine that enhances neutrophil production and function, has recently been recommended as an effective treatment for neutropenia. Selected clinical studies suggest that GM-CSF can reduce the costs associated with the management of neutropenic patients by reducing the need for antibiotics and the duration of hospitalization. Treatment with GM-CSF also may be associated with an improved quality of life. Pharmacoeconomic and quality-of-life studies are required, however, to document these benefits. Based on currently available data, GM-CSF represents an economically and clinically appropriate treatment approach for neutropenia in patients who have undergone bone marrow transplantation or experience chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.