Erythropoietin can minimize problems with anemia in cancer patients who receive radiation either alone or in conjunction with chemotherapy. Its use is not associated with greater thrombocytopenia or other side effects.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
SpivakJ.L.. Cancer-related anemia: its causes and characteristics.Semin Oncol.1994; 21: 3–8.
2.
MillerC.B., JonesR.J., PiantadosiS.. Decreased erythropoietin response in patients with anemia of cancer.N Engl J Med.1990; 322: 1689–1692.
3.
NewallJ.. The significance of anaemia in radiotherapy.Clin Radiol.1967; 18: 140–145.
4.
BushR.S.. The significance of anemia in clinical radiation therapy.Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys.1986; 12: 2047–2050.
5.
WithersR.H.. Biologic basis of radiation therapy. In: PerezC.A., BradyL.W., eds. Principles and Practice of Radiation Oncology.Philadelphia, Pa: JB Lippincott;1992: 64–97.
6.
HellmanS.. Principles of radiation therapy. In: DeVitaV.T.J., HellmanS., RosenbergS.A., eds. Principles and Practice of Oncology.4th ed.Philadelphia, Pa: JB Lippincott;1993: 248–275.
7.
GlaspyJ., BukowskiR., SteinbergD.. Impact of therapy with epoetin alfa on clinical outcomes in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies during cancer chemotherapy in community oncology practice.J Clin Oncol.1997; 15: 1218–1234.
8.
MillerC.B.. The use of erythropoietin in cancer patients.Hematol Oncol Ann.1994; 2: 288–296.
9.
AbelsR.I.. Use of recombinant human erythropoietin in the treatment of anemia in patients who have cancer.Semin Oncol.1992; 3: 29–35.
10.
CaseD.C., BukowskiR.M., CareyR.W.. Recombinant human erythropoietin for anemic cancer patients on combination therapy.J Natl Cancer Inst.1993; 85: 801–806.
11.
HenryD.H., AbelsR.I.. Recombinant human erythropoietin in the treatment of cancer and chemotherapy-induced anemia: results of double-blind and open-label follow-up studies.Semin Oncol.1994; 21: 21–28.
12.
VijayakumarS., RoachM3d, WaraW.. Effect of subcutaneous recombinant human erythropoietin in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy: preliminary results of a randomized, open-labeled, phase II trial.Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys.1993; 26: 721–729.
13.
LaveyR.S., DempseyW.H.. Erythropoietin increases hemoglobin in cancer patients during radiation therapy.Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys.1993; 27: 1147–1152.
14.
DusenberyK.E., McGuireW.A., HoltP.J.. Erythropoietin increases hemoglobin during radiation therapy for cervical cancer.Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys.1994; 29: 1079–1084.
15.
LeeJ.S., ScottC., KomakiR.. Concurrent chemoradiation therapy with oral etoposide and cisplatin for locally advanced inoperable non-small -cell lung cancer: radiation therapy oncology group protocol 91-06.J Clin Oncol.1996; 14: 1055–1064.
16.
DischeS.. Radiotherapy and anaemia: the clinical experience.Radiother Oncol.1991; 20(suppl): 35–40.
17.
GirinskiT., Pejovic-LenfantM.H., BourhisJ.. Prognostic value of hemoglobin concentrations and blood transfusions in advanced carcinoma of the cervix treated by radiation therapy: results of a retrospective study of 386 patients.Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys.1989; 16: 37–42.
18.
TarnawskiR., SkladowskiK., MaciejewskiB.. Prognostic value of hemoglobin concentration in radiotherapy for cancer of supraglottic larynx.Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys.1997; 38: 1007–1011.
19.
BushR.S., JenkinR.D.T., AlltW.E.C.. Definitive evidence for hypoxic cells influencing cure in cancer therapy.Br J Cancer.1978; 37(suppl III): 302–306.
20.
LevineE.A., VijayakumarS.. Blood transfusion in patients receiving radical radiotherapy: a reappraisal.Onkologie.1993; 16: 79–87.
21.
HeissM.M., MempelW., DelanoffC.. Blood transfusion-modulated tumor recurrence: first results of a randomized study of autologous versus allogeneic blood transfusion in colorectal cancer surgery.J Clin Oncol.1994; 12: 1859–1867.
22.
SurgenorD.M.. The patient's own blood is the safest blood.N Engl J Med1987; 316: 542–544.
23.
DillmanR.O., SeagrenS.L., PropertK.L.. A randomized trial of induction chemotherapy plus high-dose radiation versus radiation alone in stage III non-small-cell lung cancer.N Engl J Med.1990; 323: 940–945.
24.
SauseW.T., ScottC., TaylorS.. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG 88-08) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 4588: preliminary results of a phase III trial in regionally advanced, unresectable, non-small cell lung cancer.J Natl Cancer Inst.1995; 87: 198–205.
25.
KomakiR., ScottC., EttingerD.. Randomized study of chemotherapy radiation therapy combinations for favorable patients with locally advanced inoperable nonsmall cell lung cancer: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 92-04.Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys.1997; 38: 149–155.
26.
LeeJ.S., TouroutoglouN., KomakiR.. EPO prevents anemia during concurrent chemoradiation therapy.Proc Annu Meet Am Soc Clin Oncol. (Submitted). 1998.
27.
BunnPAJr, CrowleyJ., KellyK.. Chemoradiotherapy with or without granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in the treatment of limited-stage small-cell lung cancer: a prospective phase III randomized study of the Southwest Oncology Group.J Clin Oncol.1995; 13: 1632–1641.