[Impact of Primary Prophylaxis with Pegfilgrastim on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Advanced Esophageal Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy with Docetaxel, Cisplatin ,and 5-FU].

It has been reported that docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-FU combination chemotherapy(DCF)is effective for advanced esophageal cancer. However, we often encounter severe hematotoxicity during DCF therapy. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the data of patients with advanced esophageal cancer treated with DCF at our department, and assessed the efficacy of pegfilgrastim and the issues associated with its use. According to the results, pegfilgrastim may reduce the severe hematotoxicity associated with DCF therapy and may contribute to the maintenance of the intensity of DCF. However, neutropenia had already occurred before pegfilgrastim administration on day 7 in most patients. Therefore, the appropriate timing of pegfilgrastim administration in DCF must be determined in a future prospective study.