OBJECTIVE: To analyze the occurrence of neutropenia induced by drugs used in chemotherapy treatment for women with breast cancer. METHODS: Retrospective study, with assessment of 72 records, between 2003-2006. RESULTS: Of the 558 cycles of chemotherapy performed, there were 152 adverse events registered in adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy periods, totaling 43 cases of haematological toxicity. Regarding the occurrence of neutropenia, 43% had at least one episode during treatment. Hypothesis tests to compare the mean values of white blood cells from women who did or did not present with neutropenia pointed to statistically significant values in cycles two and three of neoadjuvant therapy and in cycles two, three and four in the adjuvant therapy. CONCLUSION: Neutropenia in both the adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy occurred beginning with the second cycle and was maintained during treatment, and was statistically significant when compared women who had to those who did not have this occurrence.
Drug therapy/adverse effects; Neutropenia; Breast neoplasm/drug therapy
