1993 Volume 67 Issue 1 Pages 30-35
The influence of cytotoxic chemotherapy on the number and function of peripheral neutrophils was studied in time sequence in 9 cancer patients; 6 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of urothelium treated with CAP, the combination of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin and cisplatin, and the other 3 with testicular tumor treated with PEB, the combination of cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin. The neutrophil function was evaluated by the superoxide production, measuring chemiluminescence of the neutrophil suspension by a photometer.
The peripheral neutrophil count (PNC) significantly (p<0.01) decreased with the nadir count of 280±100/mm2 16.4 days after cytotoxic chemotherapy and recovered to the normal level by the next course. The neutrophil function declined significantly (p<0.01) as PNC decreased, reached the minimum almost at the same time as PNC, and returned to the normal level by the next course. Of the 9 cases, the neutrophil function in 6 cases reached the minimum on the same day as that of PNC.
The study shows that cytotoxic chemotherapy appears to impair the host defense mechanism in cancer patients not only in inducing neutropenia but also in deteriorating neutrophil function at the same time.
