Economic issues: toward a cost-effective approach to the management of febrile neutropenia in Japan.

The cost of treating neutropenic patients unexplained fever is of significant concern in Japan because of the depressed economy and the aging population. Development of a standardized treatment methodology specifically tailored to the situation in Japan will make the treatment more efficient for health care institutions, will allow for improved monitoring of practices and costs, and will result in better patient care. It is essential, however, that the welfare of the patients be the utmost priority--cost savings is not sufficient in the absence of a significant impact on morbidity and mortality.