Febrile Neutropenia in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treated with BFM Protocols

Aim: Overall survival from leukemia is less in low and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. The aim of this study is to review febrile neutropenia (FN) episodes in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated with BFM (Berlin-Franfurt-Münich) protocols at a single center in Turkey.

Methods: Retrospective data were extracted from medical records of children (1-18 years old) with newly diagnosed and relapsed ALL and who were treated between 1995-2010 at Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Pediatric Hematology Oncology Dept.

Results: Two hundred -forty-five FN episodes were detected in 96 evaluable children (mean age: 5.9±3.7 years; M/F: 50/46). According to BFM risk groups; 32 were SRG (standard risk group), 56 were MRG (medium risk group) and 8 were HRG (high risk group) patients. Fifteen patients had relapsed on follow-up and 2 of them had a second relapse. The mean number of FN episodes was 2.5 (±1.58; 0-8) per newly diagnosed patient and 3.6 (±1.88; 1-8) per relapsed patient. Febrile neutropenia episodes were more frequent at high risk patients compared to standart risk patients (p≤0.05). Patients diagnosed before year 2000 had less FN episodes compared to patients diagnosed after 2000 (p≤0.05). Fifty-seven of the FN episodes were fever of unknown origin, 16% were clinically documented infection and 27% were microbiologically documented infection. Of the microbiologically documented infections, 44% of them were caused by gram positive bacteria and 43% were by gram negative bacteria. Eight of 96 patients developed invasive fungal infection during initial treatment and 4 out of 15 patients who relapsed. Of 9 patients who expired on follow-up, the cause of death was fungal infections in 4 and FN in 1.

Conclusion: The high rate of infectious deaths in leukemia compared to that reported in high-income countries, suggests that improvements in infection care and prevention are necessary to improve survival in patients with leukemia. We showed that over the years FN episodes increased at our center in contrast to better quality of patient care. This increase in infections may be atrributed to more intensive treatment regimens. We also showed that high risk and relapsed patients who are treated more aggresively have increased infection rate. The most common cause of death was fungal infections.