Recombinant activated factor VII controls chemotherapy-related hemorrhage in patients with solid intra-abdominal tumors: a report of three pediatric cases.

ABSTRACT

Recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa; NovoSeven, Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) is used predominantly for the treatment of bleeding in patients with hemophilia and inhibitors, and in patients with traumatic injury. There are also literature reports of its use in chemotherapy-related bleeding in leukemia patients and intra- or postoperative bleeding in patients with solid tumors. We describe three pediatric patients where rFVIIa was successfully used to manage bleeding following the failure of conventional hemostatic treatments during chemotherapy for intra-abdominal tumors (hepatoblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and non-classified malignant sarcoma). Recombinant FVIIa proved effective and maintained hemostasis in two of three cases, with no evidence for toxic or adverse events in any of the treated patients.