Moxifloxacin Compared With Ciprofloxacin/Amoxicillin in Treating Fever and Neutropenia in Patients With Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of cancer with developing febrile neutropenia * Neutropenia defined as an absolute granulocyte count of less than 1,000/mm\^3, expected to fall to less than 500/mm\^3 within 24 hours, secondary to administration of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy within the past 30 days * Fever defined as an oral temperature greater than 38.5ºC once, or 38°C or greater on 2 or more occasions at least 1 hour apart during a 12-hour period, and suspected to be due to infection * Expected low risk of serious medical complications as predicted by a Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer risk-index score of greater than 20 * No obvious signs of exit-site or tunnel intravascular catheter infection * No known or suspected CNS infection * No known or highly suspected bacterial, viral, or fungal infection PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * Not specified Life expectancy * No high probability of death within 48 hours before study enrollment (i.e., patients who are moribund or comatose for any reason with little hope of recovery OR patients in danger of, or in hepatic stupor or coma) Hematopoietic * See Disease Characteristics * No signs or symptoms of uncontrolled bleeding Hepatic * Bilirubin no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 3 times ULN * AST and ALT no greater than 5 times ULN * No severe hepatic dysfunction Renal * Creatinine no greater than 3.…