Considerations for Use of Hematopoietic Growth Factors in Patients With Cancer Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors:
Elizabeth A. Griffiths Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York;

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Laura M. Alwan Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, Washington;

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Kimo Bachiashvili O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama;

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Anna Brown University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan;

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Rita Cool The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas;

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Peter Curtin UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California;

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Mark B. Geyer Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York;

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Ivana Gojo The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland;

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Avyakta Kallam University of Nebraska Medical Center, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, Nebraska;

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Wajih Z. Kidwai Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut;

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Dwight D. Kloth Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;

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Eric H. Kraut The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, Ohio;

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Gary H. Lyman Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, Washington;

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Sudipto Mukherjee Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, Ohio;

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Lia E. Perez Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida;

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Rachel P. Rosovsky Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts;

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Vivek Roy Mayo Clinic Cancer Center; Jacksonville, Florida;

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Hope S. Rugo UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, California;

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Sumithira Vasu The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, Ohio;

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Martha Wadleigh Dana Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts; and

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Peter Westervelt Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri.

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Pamela S. Becker Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, Washington;

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Volume/Issue:
Volume 19: Issue 13
Online Publication Date:
01 Sep 2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6004/jnccn.2020.7610
Restricted access

Hematopoietic growth factors, including erythrocyte stimulating agents (ESAs), granulocyte colony-stimulating factors, and thrombopoietin mimetics, can mitigate anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia resulting from chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer. In the context of pandemic SARS-CoV-2 infection, patients with cancer have been identified as a group at high risk of morbidity and mortality from this infection. Our subcommittee of the NCCN Hematopoietic Growth Factors Panel convened a voluntary group to review the potential value of expanded use of such growth factors in the current high-risk environment. Although recommendations are available on the NCCN website in the COVID-19 Resources Section (https://www.nccn.org/covid-19/), these suggestions are provided without substantial context or reference. Herein we review the rationale and data underlying the suggested alterations to the use of hematopoietic growth factors for patients with cancer in the COVID-19 era.

Submitted May 14, 2020; accepted for publication June 25, 2020.

Disclosures: Dr. Griffiths has disclosed that she is a scientific advisor for AbbVie, Inc., Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Boston Biomedical, Celgene Corporation/Bristol-Myers Squibb, Partner Therapeutics, and Persimmune; receives honoraria from AbbVie, Inc., Boston Biomedical, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; receives grant/research support from Astex Pharmaceuticals and Genentech, Inc.; and receives consulting fees from Celgene Corporation and Partner Therapeutics. Dr. Alwan has disclosed that she has received honoraria from Clinical Care Outcomes and Pharmacy Times Continuing Education. Dr. Gojo has disclosed that she has served on the advisory board for Bristol Myers Squibb. Dr. Kloth has disclosed that he is a scientific advisor for Clovis Oncology, Coherus Biosciences, and Teva Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Lyman has disclosed that he receives research funds from Amgen, consulting fees from Biotheranostics, Merck, Beyond Spring, GI Therapeutics, Invitae, Mylan, Samsung, Samsung Bioepis, and Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Mukerjee has disclosed that he is a consultant for Novartis. Dr. Rosovsky has disclosed that she has received institutional grant/research support from Bristol Meyer Squibb Company and Janssen Pharmaceuticals and is scientific advisor/consultant for Bristol Meyer Squibb Company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Portola Pharmaceuticals, and Dova Pharmaceuticals, all outside the scope of this work. Dr. Rugo hs disclosed that she receives grant/research support from Pfizer, Merck, Novartis, Lilly, Roche, Odonate, Daiichi, Eisai, Seattle Genetics, Macrogenics, Immunomedics, Sermonix; and has received consulting fees from Puma and Samsung. Dr. Becker has disclosed that she has received grant/research support from AbbVie, Inc., Amgen Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, GlycoMimetics, Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Invivoscribe, Inc., Trovagene, Secura Bio, and Pfizer Inc.; is a scientific advisor for Caremark/Accordant Health Services; and receives consulting fees from Gerson Lehrman Group. The remaining authors have disclosed that they have no financial interests, arrangements, affiliations, or commercial interests with the manufacturers of any products discussed int his article or their competitors.

Correspondence: Elizabeth A. Griffiths, MD, Center for Genetics and Pharmacology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Room 5301B, Buffalo, NY 14263. Email: Elizabeth.griffiths@roswellpark.org
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Print ISSN:
1540-1405
Online ISSN:
1540-1413
Publisher:
National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Cover Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
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Copyright:
Copyright © 2020 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 2020
Page Numbers:
4
Article Category:
Research Article
Received:
14 May 2020
Accepted:
25 Jun 2020
Print Publication Date:
01 Mar 2021
Online Publication Date:
01 Sep 2020

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