Haematopoietic Myeloid Growth Factors in the Treatment of Acute Myelogenous Leukaemia: Players on or off Stage?

Abstract

The haematopoietic myeloid growth factors GM- and G-CSF have been tested in the treatment of acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) to see whether their application would increase chemosensitivity (leukaemia blast priming), would reduce the duration of therapy-induced bone marrow aplasia and would lower the rate of infections. Data today indicate that none of these objectives have consistently been met, although both GM- or G-CSF can safely be administered to AML patients. Whilst the mature results of a few ongoing trials must still be awaited, it is unlikely that growth factors will exert a significant impact on the current practice of AML treatment. Perhaps the most promising avenue in the near future is their use in the harvest of autologous peripheral blood stem cells within the setting of high-dose chemotherapy consolidation in AML.