The rate of grade 3 or worse neutropenia was within the range of previous reports (95.1 % and 84.8 %) [22, 23], and the degree of myelosuppression and its risk of secondary serious infection and sepsis was manageable with protocol-specific dose reductions, treatment delays, and prophylactic use of G-CSF and antibiotics. Here, CSF3 is linked to neutropenia.