A MULTICENTER STUDY OF RECOMBINANT-HUMAN-ERYTHROPOIETIN (EPOETIN-ALPHA) IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ANEMIA IN CANCER-PATIENTS RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY

Current evidence suggests that epoetin alpha administration is well to lerated and effective in the management of anemia of cancer and cancer chemotherapy. An open-label, multinational, non-comparative study was conducted in 215 cancer patients with anemia secondary to chemotherap y with platinum- or non-platinum-based combinations. Epoetin alpha was administered s.c. (150 IU/kg three times/week) for a planned period o f 16 weeks. The response rate of epoetin alpha, defined as an increase in hemoglobin level of 2 g/dl or more from baseline, was 67%. The rat e of response was not related to the chemotherapy regimen administered (platinum or nonplatinum based). The percentage of patients transfuse d and the transfusion rate during epoetin alpha treatment were reduced . Transfusional need was eliminated in 64 (75%) of the 85 patients tra nsfused before the study start, after 1 month of therapy. Quality of l ife, assessed using a visual analog scale, improved markedly in patien ts who experienced a hematological response. These patients also exper ienced a statistically significant (p < 0.0001) improvement in mean WH O performance score. These findings indicate that epoetin alpha is a w ell tolerated and effective agent which increases hemaglobin concentra tion and reduces transfusion requirements in anemic cancer patients re ceiving chemotherapy.