A randomized controlled trial of sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim plus norfloxacin versus sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim alone for the prophylaxis of bacteria infection during chemotherapy for lung cancer.
Author(s): Nagatomo A, Watanabe K, Kunikane H, Okamoto H, Kunitoh H
Affiliation(s): Department of Respiratory Medicine, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Japan.
Publication date & source: 1998-02, Lung Cancer., 19(2):121-5.
Publication type: Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial
The efficacy of the prophylactic administration of sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (ST) plus norfloxacin (NFLX) versus ST alone to prevent the development of bacterial infection during chemotherapy-induced leukopenia was compared in patients with lung cancer. Patients who underwent systemic chemotherapy were randomized into one of the prophylactic regimens when grade 3 or 4 leukopenia occurred. Prophylactic treatment was performed on 133 courses of leukopenia in 75 patients and the efficacy was evaluated on 127 of those courses after excluding those patients who demonstrated a fever within 24 h from the start of the prophylaxis. The number of patients who had leukopenia associated fever was two out of 63 (3.2%) with the ST plus NFLX regimen and 10 out of 64 (15.6%) with ST alone; the difference was statistically significant. The prophylactic use of ST plus NFLX was thus found to be more useful than ST alone for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced leukopenia in patients with lung cancer.
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