Intermediate dose etoposide plus G-CSF 16 g/kg is more effective than cyclophosphamide 4 g/m(2) plus G-CSF 10 g/kg in PBSC mobilization of lymphoma patients.

We designed intermediate dose etoposide+G-CSF 16 mu g/kg as a Peripheral Blood Stem Cell ( PBSC) mobilization schedule suitable for outpatient administration. Forty-one Lymphoma patients received intermediate dose etoposide ( 200 mg/m(2) i.v. day +1, +2, +3) +G-CSF 16 mu g/kg/day. Results of PBSC mobilization in these patients were compared with those of a group of 37 lymphoma patients mobilized using cyclophosphamide (CTX) at dosage of 4 g/m(2)+G- CSF 10 mg/kg/die. Mean peak of CD34+ cells achieved in P. B. and total CD34+ cells harvested were higher in patients mobilized with intermediate dose etoposide ( p = 0.003 and p = 0.004, respectively). After transplantation recovery of polymorphonucleate neutrophils (PMN) > 0.5 x 10(9)/L did not differ significantly between groups: 11.7 days in intermediate dose etoposide group and 11.5 days in CTX group ( p = 0.7). Intermediate dose etoposide + G-CSF 16 mu g/kg resulted in a maximum length of neutropenia (PMN < 0.5x10(9)/L) of 2 days and neutropenic fever was registered during only 3/41 courses ( 7.3%). Intermediate dose etoposide+G- CSF 16 mu g/kg is a highly effective mobilizing therapy, further, it has the advantage of low hematologic toxicity and can be easily administered as outpatient treatment.