The impact of frequent injections for hematopoietic growth factor support on patients receiving chemotherapy: an observational study

An observational study was conducted to assess the impact of daily injections of Filgrastim (Neupogen？; Amgen Inc.) on patients' quality of life. A Subject Outcome Questionnaire was administered to patients after chemotherapy on 2 consecutive cycles. Time spent for treatment and patient attitude towards injection frequency were measured. The effect on patients' daily activities, including their ability to work, was analyzed.Thirty patients completed the first, and 24 the second, administration of the Questionnaire across 3 participating sites in the United States. The average patient time commitment for each daily injection was 78 minutes. Forty-five percent of patients were moderately to extremely bothered by travel during the first chemotherapy cycle, which increased to 59% during the second cycle. Forty-four percent and 18% of patients reported having to rearrange their daily schedules and take time off from work to accommodate each injection at least some of the time, respectively. Eighty-nine percent of the patients reported a preference for a longer-acting drug that required fewer injections.Results indicate that frequent injections represent a significant burden on patients' lives and that the majority would prefer longer-acting medications that require less frequent administration and potentially fewer clinic visits.When people are diagnosed with cancer, their daily routines, and those of their caregivers, change dramatically in order to accommodate chemotherapy treatment. Given the potential outcome of the disease, patients are often willing to make significant adjustments in their lives to integrate the numerous demands of their disease treatment plans. Understandably, this new identity as a "cancer patient" may take priority over all other roles when such sacrifice is believed to be necessary to improve the probability of a successful outcome. Thus, for patients and their caregivers, frequent trips to the clinic that necessitate rearranging schedules, tak