Risk factors for predicting severe neutropenia induced by amrubicin in patients with advanced lung cancer

Background: Neutropenia is one of the most frequent and dose-limiting toxicities in amrubicin (AMR) therapy. However, the predictive factors for the development of severe neutropenia in AMR therapy remain unknown. Methods: The subjects were 61 advanced lung cancer patients treated with AMR monotherapy. All data were retrospectively collected from the electronic medical record system. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for grade 3-4 neutropenia. Results: Of a total 61 patients, 50 were male and 11 were female. The median dose of AMR was 35.0 mg/m². The incidence of grade 3-4 neutropenia during the first course was 62%. In multivariate analysis, female gender (OR = 6.68; 95% CI 1.01-134.15; p = 0.049), higher AMR doses (40 mg/m² or more) (OR = 5.98; 95% CI 1.77-23.74; p = 0.003), and lower hematocrit values (OR = 2.04 per 5% decrease; 95% CI 1.04-4.38; p = 0.036) were significantly associated with severe neutropenia induced by AMR. Conclusion: The present results suggest that female gender, higher doses of AMR, and lower baseline hematocrit values are predictive factors associated with severe neutropenia induced by AMR in patients with advanced lung cancer. Patients who have these predictive factors should be monitored carefully and considered for early granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support.