Cancer-related anemia and recombinant human erythropoietin--an updated overview.

For cancer patients, anemia can be a debilitating problem that negatively influences their overall quality of life and worsens their prognosis. The condition is caused either by the cancer itself or by cytotoxic treatment. Anemia is the primary indication for transfusion of red blood cells, but the development of recombinant human erythropoietins (epoetins) provides an alternative to red blood cell transfusions. Treatment with epoetins has been shown to reduce transfusion rates and increase hemoglobin response. There is some evidence that epoetins improve quality of life. It remains unclear, however, whether erythropoietin affects tumor growth and survival, and this area requires further investigation. Data from clinical trials suggest that erythropoietin increases the risk of thromboembolic complications. In the management of anemic patients, physicians should follow closely the dosing recommendations in products' package inserts or the ASCO/American Society of Hematology guidelines. Treatment of patients beyond the correction of anemia, however, has to be regarded as experimental and is potentially harmful, so should only be conducted in clinical trials.