Bone Pain Reduced With Pegfilgrastim Administration 72 Hours After Chemo

TUESDAY, March 24, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with breast cancer, administration of pegfilgrastim 72 hours postchemotherapy reduces pegfilgrastim-induced bone pain (PIBP) compared with administration at 24 and 48 hours, according to a study published online March 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.Peiyong Li, from Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues conducted a three-arm randomized controlled trial in a tertiary A-level hospital involving patients with stage I to III breast cancer. Participants were randomly allocated to the 24-, 48-, or 72-hour group based on the timing of pegfilgrastim administration postchemotherapy. The area under the curve (AUC) of the daily worst bone pain score for five consecutive days in the first chemotherapy cycle was examined as the primary end point.The intention-to-treat analyses included 159 patients (53 in each group). The researchers found that the mean AUC was 12.74, 14.20, and 6.05 in the 24-, 48-, and 72-hour groups, respectively, during the first cycle, with the AUC significantly lower in the 72-hour group versus the 24- and 48-hour groups. Compared with the 24-hour and 48-hour groups, the 72-hour group consistently maintained a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in bone pain for the remaining three chemotherapy cycles. As chemotherapy cycles progressed, the incidence and duration of both any grade and severe bone pain decreased. The 72-hour group exhibited significantly lower rates of severe bone pain incidence than the 24- and 48-hour groups (58.5 and 66.0 percent, respectively, versus 22.6 percent). No substantial difference was seen in the incidence of neutropenia among groups; none of the patients developed febrile neutropenia."Administration of pegfilgrastim 72 hours after chemotherapy could serve as a viable strategy in clinical practice to improve the overall treatment experience for patients," the authors write.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Bone Pain Reduced With Pegfilgrastim Administration 72 Hours After Chemo

Related Stories