A Growing Factor

Chicago - Palifermin, a recombinant form of human keratinocyte growth factor (rhuKGF), has been shown to significantly reduce the duration and incidence of severe oral mucositis, while lessening the use of parenteral opioid analgesics and improving the patient's outcome in patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing high-dose chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and total body irradiation (TBI) followed by hematopoietic stem-cell support, Ricardo Spielberger, M.D., said at the 39th annual meeting of the American Society of Oncology.