Each patient will be given 10 micrograms per kilogram per day of G-CSF subcutaneously for 6 consecutive days. On day 7 each patient will be seen and evaluated in the same manner as on day 0. Patients or their parents (if children are too young to reliably respond themselves) will also be asked to rate the following via a visual analog scale of 1-9- oral pain, pruritus, oral pain, swallowing, and overall sense of well-being. A telephone follow-up will be conducted on all patients 28 days after G-CSF so as to evaluate if the effect noted on day 7 was sustained.
