What is the primary purpose of administering colony-stimulating factors to cancer patients?

Administering colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) to cancer patients primarily serves the purpose of stimulating the production of blood cells, particularly white blood cells, to help combat the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. These treatments can significantly decrease bone marrow activity, leading to neutropenia, which raises the patient's risk for infection. By promoting the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells in the bone marrow, CSFs increase the production of neutrophils, thereby enhancing the patient's ability to fight infections.

While reducing the risk of infection is an important secondary benefit of increasing blood cell counts, the fundamental action of CSFs is to stimulate blood cell production. Enhancing the immune response and improving physical endurance are outcomes that may arise indirectly from increased white blood cell levels, but they are not the primary purpose of administering colony-stimulating factors. In summary, the primary role of CSFs is to ensure adequate blood cell production to maintain the patient's health during treatment and to help mitigate the risk of complications associated with low blood cell counts.