Antibiotic Therapy With or Without G-CSF in Treating Children With Neutropenia and Fever Caused by Chemotherapy

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically diagnosed cancer with fever and chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count no greater than 500/mm3) * Acute onset of fever of at least 38.8 degrees Celsius that is not related to the administration of blood products or pyrogenic substances * No acute myelogenous leukemia * No myelodysplastic syndrome * No solid tumor with bone marrow involvement PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 21 and under Performance status: * Not specified Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * See Disease Characteristics Hepatic: * Creatinine less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal Renal: * Not specified Other: * No patients in septic shock * No prolonged fever of unknown origin PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF) * See Chemotherapy Chemotherapy: * No prior or concurrent myeloablative chemoradiotherapy with bone marrow or peripheral stem cell rescue Endocrine therapy: * Not specified Radiotherapy: * See Chemotherapy * No prior radiotherapy to marrow reserves (i.e., craniospinal and/or pelvic irradiation) Surgery: * Not specified Other: * At least 7 days since prior IV antibiotics