[Decline in the need for blood transfusions in cancer patients due to the use of epoietin alfa during cisplatin based chemotherapy].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the need for blood transfusions between two groups of patients treated with cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. One of these groups received epoetin alpha therapy.
DESIGN: Prospective with an historical control group.
METHODS: From April 1998 to December 1999, 44 patients who were being treated with cisplatin and gemcitabine were also administered epoetin alpha (10,000 U subcutaneously, thrice weekly) from the onset of anaemia. The need for red blood cell transfusions in this group was compared to a historical control group of 46 patients treated with the same combination chemotherapy regimen from November 1995 to July 1997.
RESULTS: In the historical control group, each patient received an average of 1.6 red blood cell transfusions as compared to 0.7 in the epoetin alpha group (a 58% reduction). The average number of units of red blood cells transfused per patient was 3.6 for the control group and 1.8 for the epoetin alpha group (a 50% reduction). In the epoetin alpha group, none of the patients received more than 2 transfusions whereas in the control group, 10 patients (22%) received 3 or more transfusions. In two patients, epoetin therapy had to be stopped due to the occurrence of hypertension.
CONCLUSION: Epoetin alpha reduced the need for red blood cell transfusions during cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. Its toxic effect was minimal.