Background: In intermediate-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients, full-dose CHOP improves survival but increases myelosuppression, causing febrile neutropenia hospitalization (FNH) in 28% of patients 65 years of age or greater. Several risk factors for FNH are known, but their relationship to length of stay (LOS), an indicator of the total burden of FNH, is unclear.
Methods: We conducted a study to identify factors associated with the incidence, recurrence, and duration of hospitalizations for FN and to describe the frequency of administration of colony-stimulating factor (CSF) as primary and secondary prophylaxis and its association with repeated hospitalization episodes.
Results: Compared with patients who did not experience hospitalizations for FN, those who did were significantly older, had more comorbid conditions, were planned for standard dose intensity, and received CSF less often during the first 5 days of cycle 1 (early CSF). Overall, 73% of these hospitalizations occurred within the first 2 cycles of chemotherapy, with 56% occurring within the first cycle. Patients age > or = 65 years accounted for 66% of cycle 1 FNH. Patients receiving early CSF were less likely to experience repeated hospitalizations (0% vs 12%; P<.05). Multiple regression analysis of those hospitalized found a 3.9-day longer LOS for patients age > or = 65 years and a 5.13-day longer LOS for those not receiving early CSF.
Conclusions: Older NHL patients have a higher risk of hospitalization for FN and longer LOS. The majority of hospitalization days occur in the first 2 cycles of chemotherapy. Early CSF use is associated with decreased risk of repeated hospitalizations and shorter total LOS. Secondary CSF use is also associated with reduced risk of repeated FNH.