Latest Headlines
Stereotactic radiation controls early stage lung cancer
Melanoma survivors at higher risk of other cancers
Cladribine and fludarabine equally helpful for progressive CLL
More frequent surveillance reduces colon cancer risk in Lynch syndrome families
Radiation can be avoided in early Hodgkin's lymphoma
NEWS PROVIDED BY 
VIEW ALL NEWSErythropoietic agents raise mortality in cancer patients
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A meta-analysis of trial data suggests that the benefits of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents for cancer patients should be weighed against the possibility that these drugs may reduce survival.
Dr. Julia Bohlius, from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and colleagues analyzed data on nearly 14,000 patients in 53 trials to assess the survival effects, if any, of treatment with epoetin alpha, epoetin beta, and darbepoetin alpha.
As reported in the May 2nd issue of The Lancet, the main endpoints were mortality during the active study period and survival at the longest follow-up point.
Overall, 4993 patients died, and 1530 died during the active study period, the report indicates.
During the active study period, use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents increased mortality by 17% and cut overall survival by 6%.
In a subanalysis of the 10,441 patients who received chemotherapy, treatment with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents increased mortality during the active study period by 10% and reduced overall survival by 4%.
"The findings of this individual patient data meta-analysis show that erythropoiesis-stimulating agents increase mortality in all patients with cancer, and a similar increase might exist in patients on chemotherapy," the authors conclude. Further studies, they add, are needed to explore the mechanisms for this association.
Copyright © 2009 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
NEWS PROVIDED BY
TEXT SIZE 