Same-Day Pegfilgrastim-cbqv Administration Is Feasible in Patients with Breast Cancer Receiving Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy Regimens

The findings from a small, retrospective study suggest that same-day pegfilgrastim-cbqv was a safe and effective alternative to standard administration 24 hours postchemotherapy for the primary and secondary prophylaxis of febrile neutropenia with myelosuppressive chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer.

The standard of care for the primary or secondary prophylaxis of febrile neutropenia (FN) following myelosuppressive chemotherapy has been the administration of long-acting injectable granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, pegfilgrastim, and its biosimilars 24 hours postchemotherapy. With the intent of reducing potential patient exposure to SAR-CoV-2, same-day administration of injectable pegfilgrastim-cbqv was implemented among select patients with breast cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimens. A retrospective study assessed the incidence and severity of FN following same-day administration of injectable pegfilgrastim-cbqv.

In this study, retrospective electronic health record chart reviews identified 55 patients with breast cancer who received same-day pegfilgrastim-cbqv administration for primary or secondary prophylaxis following myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Eligible patients must have completed ≥2 consecutive cycles of same-day pegfilgrastim-cbqv 6-mg subcutaneous injection. The median age of the patient cohort was 49.1 years (range, 29-71 years) and the majority were white (56.4%).

Overall, 9 (16.4%) of the 55 patients experienced FN (grade 3/4) and 6 (10.9%) patients were hospitalized. Of these, the majority of patients (88.9%) experienced FN between cycles 1 and 2. There were no grade 5 events and no patient discontinued treatment because of FN.

Based on this retrospective data analysis, albeit in a small cohort of patients with breast cancer, the authors concluded that same-day pegfilgrastim-cbqv was a safe and effective alternative in the primary and secondary prophylaxis of FN with myelosuppressive chemotherapy used in breast cancer treatment.

Source: Leiva M, Pennisi A, Kiernan Harnden K, et al. The feasibility of same day pegfilgrastim-cbqv administration in breast cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimens at a northern Virginia cancer center. J Clin Oncol. 2021;39(suppl_15):e18687.