Randomized Comparison Between Antibiotics Alone and Antibiotics Plus Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor in Pediatric Patients With Chemotherapy Induced Febrile Neutropenia

Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically diagnosed cancer with fever and chemotherapy-induced neutropenia
(absolute neutrophil count no greater than 500/mm3)

- Acute onset of fever of at least 38.8 degrees Celsius that is not related to the
administration of blood products or pyrogenic substances

- No acute myelogenous leukemia

- No myelodysplastic syndrome

- No solid tumor with bone marrow involvement

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 21 and under

Performance status:

- Not specified

Life expectancy:

- Not specified

Hematopoietic:

- See Disease Characteristics

Hepatic:

- Creatinine less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

- Not specified

Other:

- No patients in septic shock

- No prolonged fever of unknown origin

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF)

- See Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy:

- No prior or concurrent myeloablative chemoradiotherapy with bone marrow or peripheral
stem cell rescue

Endocrine therapy:

- Not specified

Radiotherapy:

- See Chemotherapy

- No prior radiotherapy to marrow reserves (i.e., craniospinal and/or pelvic
irradiation)

Surgery:

- Not specified

Other:

- At least 7 days since prior IV antibiotics