Role of granulocyte/neutrophil transfusions for haematology/oncology patients in the modern era

Abstract

Infections continue to be a serious problem for severely neutropenic oncology and haematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) transplant patients. Although it is now possible to collect much larger numbers of neutrophils (PMNs) from donors stimulated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor + corticosteroids, the efficacy of these 'modern' granulocyte/PMN transfusions, with higher doses of PMNs, has not been established by convincing randomized control trials. Accordingly, they cannot be recommended for standard therapy at this time. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.