Epidemiology

Febrile neutropenia is the most common life-threatening complication of cancer therapy.[1]

In the US, the incidence of febrile neutropenia is estimated at >100,000 events a year, accounting for 5.2% of all cancer-related hospitalisations in adults.[8] Estimates of the proportion of patients receiving cancer treatment who experience febrile neutropenia vary from 10% to 20%.[9][10][11]​ Incidence appears to be highest during the first cycle of chemotherapy, in the elderly (age >65 years), and in those with comorbidities.[9][12][11][13][14][15]

Febrile neutropenia frequency and mortality are higher in patients with haematological malignancy than those with solid tumours.[16][17]​ In one retrospective multi-centre database study of adult cancer patients hospitalised with febrile neutropenia between 1995 and 2000, the average inpatient mortality rate associated with febrile neutropenia was 14.3% for those with leukaemia, 8.0% for those with solid tumours, and 8.9% for those with lymphoma.[17] A subsequent cross-sectional study of 14 US cancer centres reported 30-day mortality of 9.6% among patients with haematological malignancies with bloodstream infection in the setting of febrile neutropenia.[18]

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