Intensity of chemotherapy
The intensity of chemotherapy was classified into four levels according to the expected duration of severe neutropenia:
  1. Minimally myelosuppressive chemotherapy: Not expected to induce severe neutropenia [e.g., maintenance therapy in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chemotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma]
  2. Briefly myelosuppressive chemotherapy: Expected duration of severe neutropenia ≤10 days (e.g., induction, consolidation, interim maintenance, delayed intensification therapy of standard-risk ALL)
  3. Strongly myelosuppressive chemotherapy: With the expected duration of severe neutropenia >10 days (e.g., chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and induction, consolidation, interim maintenance, delayed intensification therapy of high-risk ALL)
  4. Myeloablative chemotherapy: Requiring hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to reconstitute bone marrow function (e.g., Post HSCT)