Guidelines on Use of Epoetin for Anemia

New evidence-based guidelines on the use of epoetin for anemia caused by the activity of cancer, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or bone marrow failure have been issued by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO, USA;) and the American Society of Hematology (ASH, USA), following a review of the latest research.

The high incidence of anemia in cancer patients and the inconvenience of blood transfusions have led to the investigation of alternative treatments such as epoetin (recombinant hematopoietic growth factor erythropoietin). Concerns about infectious risks associated with transfusions as well as the limited availability of blood products have also contributed to this investigation.

The guidelines recommend the use of epoetin for patients with chemotherapy-associated anemia with a hemoglobin level less than 10 g/dl. For patients whose blood-cell count is between 10 and 12 g/dl, doctors should conduct an in-depth evaluation and treat with epoetin on an individual basis, based on clinical judgment. There are no published high-quality studies that support the use of epoein in other hematologic malignancies for patients not receiving chemotherapy.

The complete clinical practice guidelines are available online at the website of ASCO's Journal of Clinical Oncology under "Early Release” and also at ASH's Blood website. The guidelines will be published in the October 1, 2002, issue of each journal.




Related Links:
Journal of Clinical Oncology
ASH's Blood website