EVALUATING THE SIDE EFFECTS OF PALBOCICLIB IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS FOCUSING ON NEUTROPENIA IN THE CITY OF SULAYMANIYAH

This research explores the side effects associated with palbociclib, a commonly used CDK4/6 inhibitor in the treatment of breast cancer, also the study was conducted at Hiwa Hospital and involved a review of 70 patient records, also the analysis focused on several important variables, including age, gender, smoking status, family history of breast cancer, and the presence of comorbidities. Particular attention was given to the occurrence of neutropenia and related infections during treatment. Results showed that neutropenia was highly prevalent, affecting the majority of patients, with more than half of those cases complicated by infections most of which were bacterial in nature, although fatigue was the most frequently reported symptom, followed by hair thinning and anxiety, also the majority of participants were non-smoking women aged between 51 and 60, and a significant portion had a family history of breast cancer. Comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension were also common, so these findings emphasize the importance of routine monitoring and supportive care for patients on palbociclib, so by examining real-world patient data, this study adds meaningful insight into the safety profile of palbociclib and reinforces the need for personalized treatment strategies.

Keywords: Palbociclib; Breast cancer; Neutropenia; Infections; Comorbidities; Side Effects