Peripheral blood stem cell mobilization with pegylated granulocyte colony stimulating factor in children.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: We report here our experience of using pegylated granulocyte colony stimulating factor (peg-GCSF) for peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) mobilization in children. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of nine children suffering from high-risk/relapsed solid tumors were mobilized with chemotherapy and peg-GCSF (100 microgram/kg single dose). Mean age was 7.7 years (range 2-15 years).The mean time from peg-GCSF administration to PBSC harvest was 9.7 days. Adequate stem cells (median dose 26.9 million/kg) could be harvested in all children by a single apheresis procedure. No major adverse events observed. CONCLUSION: It is feasible and safe to mobilize PBSC with peg-GCSF in children with cancer.