Anemia in the News

An abstract presented December 6th at the American Society of Hematology’s Annual Meeting showed that treating anemia with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) increased mortality and decreased the overall survival of cancer patients.¹ These results confirmed previous data suggesting ESAs may negatively affect the overall health of these patients.

Presented by lead author Julia Bohlius, MD, MScPH, the meta-analysis study of nearly 14,000 patients found that for all patients with cancer, the use of ESAs increased mortality by 17% and decreased overall survival by 6%. For patients undergoing chemotherapy, mortality increased by 10% and survival decreased by 4%, but did not reach statistical significance.

These results came after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered specific changes in July 2008 for the use of ESAs to treat patients receiving chemotherapy. The authors contend in the abstract that the risks associated with using ESAs to treat anemia must be balanced against the benefits for the individual cancer patient.

For more information about this study, view the published abstract on the Blood journal website or the description in the late-breaking ASH press release. Also, visit the FDA website for current labeling and past announcements regarding ESAs.

Reference

1. Bohlius J, et al. Recombinant Human Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents in Cancer Patients: Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis on Behalf of the EPO IPD Meta-Analysis Collaborative Group. ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts 2008;112:LBA-6. Link.

Last Updated: December 11, 2008