Clinical effectiveness of palifermin in prevention and treatment of oral mucositis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a case–control study

Abstract

Children undergoing treatment for leukaemia may benefit from a drug that prevents mucositis, or injury to the cells that line the mouth. A team led by Dorina Lauritano from the University of Milan Bicocca, Italy, tested a drug called palifermin in 20 patients under 16 years of age who received high doses of chemotherapy and radiation, followed by stem cell transplantations to treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Palifermin is a modified version of a naturally occurring human protein called keratinocyte growth factor. It is marketed as Kepivance for the prevention of oral mucositis for all age groups. However, information on the safety and efficacy of the drug in paediatric populations was limited. Lauritano and her colleagues found that Palifermin significantly reduced the severity of mucositis compared to a control group that did not receive the drug.

Keywords

acute lymphoblastic leukaemia / oral mucositis / palifermin

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