A trial looking at using a growth factor after treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma or non Hodgkin lymphoma

Cancer type:

Blood cancers
Hodgkin lymphoma
Lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Status:

Results

Phase:

Phase 3

This trial compared low dose lenograstim with standard dose lenograstrim after high dose chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. It recruited people with lymphoma (including Hodgkin lymphoma and non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)).

The number of blood cells you have drops after high dose chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant helps them to recover. Doctors routinely give a growth factor called granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF) to help blood counts recover more quickly.

Growth factors encourage the body to make blood cells. Different types of growth factors encourage the different types of blood cells to grow. The growth factor used in this trial was called lenograstim. Lenograstim helps the growth of white blood cells.

The aim of the trial was to find out

  • If low dose lenograstim works as well as the standard dose at helping white blood counts to recover
  • More about the side effects

Summary of results

The researchers found that low dose lenograstim works as well as the standard dose at helping white blood cell counts to recover after chemotherapy and stem cell transplant.

61 people took part in this trial.

  • One third had low dose lenograstim
  • One third had standard dose lenograstim
  • One third had a placebo (dummy drug)

Everybody had either lenograstim or placebo injections starting 5 days after their stem cell transplant until their white blood cells recovered.

The researchers analysed the results in 2006. They looked at how long it took the white blood cells to go back to a normal level after treatment. They found no difference between the 2 groups who had lenograstim. On average the white blood counts took about 11 days to recover in the people who had lenograstrim. This compared with about 14 days in the people who had placebo.

The people who had lenograstrim didn’t report any side effects as a result of having growth factors.

We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists (peer reviewed Open a glossary item) and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.

Recruitment start:

Recruitment end:

How to join a clinical trial

Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Chief Investigator

Professor David Linch
Professor John Sweetenham

Supported by

Haematology Trials Group

If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses

Freephone 0808 800 4040

Last review date

CRUK internal database number:

Oracle - 86

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Last reviewed:

Rate this page:

No votes yet
Thank you!
We've recently made some changes to the site, tell us what you think