Norma Araceli López-Facundo, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Materno-Infantil, ISSEMYM, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
Ma. Guadalupe Valois-Escamilla, Pediatrics Department, Hospital Materno-Infantil, ISSEMYM, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
Isidoro Tejocote-Romero, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Materno-Infantil, ISSEMYM, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
Cecilia Rodríguez-Castillejos, Department of Pediatric Hematology, Hospital Materno-Infantil, ISSEMYM, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
Yanet Jaimes-García, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Materno-Infantil, ISSEMYM, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
Background: Febrile neutropenia is one of the main complications in cancer patients that exponentially increases treatment costs. Pegfilgrastim is a pegylated form of filgrastim, and it might reduce the severity and duration of febrile neutropenia, as well as costs. Objective: To analyze the cost-benefit ratio of febrile neutropenia prophylactic treatment with pegfilgrastim vs. filgrastim in pediatric patients with solid tumors. Methods: A cost-benefit study was carried out, where complete medical records of pediatric patients with solid tumors and febrile neutropenia who received prophylactic treatment with pegfilgrastim vs. filgrastim were analyzed. Clinical-demographic variables, febrile neutropenia events, and days of hospital stay were considered, as well as related complications and global related cost, looking for differences by means of Student’s t-test and the chi-square test. Results: Twenty-six patients with a total of 106 chemotherapy courses were included. Fourteen patients (52.8%) were administered filgrastim and 12 patients (46.1%) received pegfilgrastim. There were 57.6% of males. Mean hospital days of stay and costs were significantly higher in the filgrastim versus the pegfilgrastim group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The use of pegfilgrastim reduced the number of neutropenia and fever events, days of hospital stay, and costs by up to 30%.
Keywords: Cost-benefit. Pegfilgrastim Febrile neutropenia.
