Managing anemia with epoetin alfa in patients with rectal cancer

english

2005

volume 39, issue 2

Anemia   Drug Therapy   Erythropoietin, Recombinant   Hemoglobins   Rectal Neoplasms   Surgery   therapy

Društvo radiologije in onkologije
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

Background. Anemia is one of the most challenging problems in clinical oncology due to its high prevalence among the patients with malignant diseases. The purposes of our study were: (1) to assess the potential of epoetin alfa therapy to prevent the decline in Hb concentrations that typically accompanies chemotherapy/radiotherapy (ChT/RT) of the patients with rectal cancer; (2) to test the hypothesis that the use of epoetin alfa significantly reduces the transfusion requirements in the patients with rectalcancer treated with ChT/RTafter surgery, and (3) to evaluate the safety profile of the administration of epoetin alfa in the clinical setting. Methods. Sixty patients who underwent surgery for rectal cancer were prospectively enrolled. Group A consisted of 39 patients with Hb concentrations <13 g/dl at the start of ChT/RT following surgery, and group B of 17 patients with Hb concentrations >13 g/dl at the start of ChT/RT following surgery, but whose Hb concentrations fell below 13 g/dl during the ChT/RT protocol. The starting dose of epoetin alfa in both proups was 10,000 IU subcutaneously (se) three times a week (tiw). The following major parameters were evaluated: (1) change in Hb concentrations relative to the baseline as measured at 4-week intervals, (2) allogenic blood transfusion requirements in relation to Hb concentrations, and (3) incidence and severity of adverse events and their potential relationship to epoetin alfa administration. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters)

16.09.2009