Table 3.

Myelosuppression and infection risk using purine analog therapy in CLL

Agent	Reference	Patients (no.)l	% of patients developing grade 3/4 neutropeniam	% of patients developing grade 3/4 infectionm
Fludarabine or fludarabine-based combinations	130	77a	39	29
	131	35 [6]	5	27
	132	68 [33]	56c [53]	17 [9]
	85	100 [52]b	19	4
	87	188d	10	29
	87	141d,e	19	45
	88	128 [35]f	48c	50
Pentostatin or pentostatin-based combinations	133	26 [13]	3	34
	134	26	Median ANC day 21:1,200/μl	16
	94	29	17	31g
	92	23h	35	9
Cladribine	135	26	31	27
	136	90 [20]	NS	21 [30]i
	137	67 [46]j	12	37
	138	43 [33]k	10 [15]	20 [15]
	139	52	63	27

ANC Absolute neutrophil count; NS not significant

^a Eighteen patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma included

^b Randomized to fludarabine versus cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/prednisone

^c ANC <500/l

^d Randomized to fludarabine versus chlorambucil versus fludarabine and chlorambucil

^e Fludarabine in combination with chlorambucil

^f Fludarabine in combination with cyclophosphamide

^g Grade 2–4 infections reported

^h Pentostatin in combination with cyclophosphamide

ⁱ Three atypical infections in patients receiving steroid

^j All <55 years

^k All >70 years

^l No. of patients with no prior therapy given in []

^m Percentage of previously untreated patients given in []