 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Research Articles |
BACKGROUND: It is common practice to administer acyclovir as prophylaxis to patients with hematologic malignancies during neutropenia; however, effective therapy requires frequent dosing, which is difficult in this setting. Valacyclovir has greater oral bioavailability and requires less frequent dosing. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of valacyclovir compared with acyclovir. METHODS: Patients who had been treated with chemotherapy or stem-cell transplantation were randomized to receive acyclovir 400 mg orally 3 times daily (n = 51), valacyclovir 500 mg orally twice daily (n = 48), or valacyclovir 250 mg orally twice daily (n = 52) during neutropenia. RESULTS: Clinical success, defined as the absence of an active herpes simplex virus (HSV) lesion or asymptomatic viral shedding, was similar between the 3 groups (acyclovir 96%, valacyclovir 500 mg 95%, valacyclovir 250 mg 100%). The overall rates of adverse events were similar in the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic treatment with valacyclovir is an effective and safe alternative to acyclovir for the prevention of HSV reactivation in patients with hematologic malignancies.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. Sandherr, H. Einsele, H. Hebart, C. Kahl, W. Kern, M. Kiehl, G. Massenkeil, O. Penack, X. Schiel, S. Schuettrumpf, et al. Antiviral prophylaxis in patients with haematological malignancies and solid tumours: Guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Working Party (AGIHO) of the German Society for Hematology and Oncology (DGHO) Ann. Onc., July 1, 2006; 17(7): 1051 - 1059. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. W. Redding Cancer Therapy-Related Oral Mucositis J Dent Educ., August 1, 2005; 69(8): 919 - 929. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
