Recombinant human erythropoietin in the treatment of head and neck tumour anaemia

At the time of first diagnosis, patients with squamous cell carcinoma in th e head and neck are often in the advanced stage of their disease, therefore surgery is not a viable option for treatment. These patients also present frequently a high grade of anaemia as a result of either the malignant proc ess itself or of the following therapy. The incidence of anaemia and the ne ed for transfusion depends on several factors, such as the type and intensi ty of radiotherapy and radiochemotherapy. Multimode therapeutic concepts su ch as radio-chemotherapy are being applied with increasing frequency, resul ting in an ever increasing need for transfusion with great effects on the p atient's quality of life. Even more important to tumour patients is the rol e of the haemaglobin (Hb) value as a prognostic factor for survival and/or local tumour control. A large number of studies show that recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) is effective in the treatment of tumour-induced a naemia and prevention and correction of chemotherapy and radiotherapy-induc ed anaemia. The simultaneous application of r-HuEPO with chemotherapy can p revent patients with head and neck tumours from developing anaemia or can r educe the extent of the anaemia and the need for transfusion. Comparable ef fects were observed both in patients undergoing platinum-based and non-plat inum-based chemotherapy. The direct correlation between anaemia, tumour hyp oxia and poor response to radio and/or chemotherapy has been clinically pro ven. Recombinant human erythropoietin administration improves the therapeut ic outcome and the patients' prognosis.