title: Recombinant human erythropoietin in patients with ovarian carcinoma and anaemia secondary to cisplatin and carboplatin chemotherapy: preliminary results.
abstract: Preliminary results from the first 21 patients of a group of 30 with International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage II-IV epithelial ovarian carcinoma and anaemia are reported. Patients entered this open-label, comparative-group, out-patient study and were randomized to receive conventional support alone (control patients) or recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) in addition to conventional support for 6 months. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of r-HuEPO on the anaemia induced by platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients randomized to r-HuEPO therapy received 300 U/kg subcutaneously 3 times weekly in addition to conventional chemotherapy. All patients underwent regular haematological monitoring. One patient developed a deep venous thrombosis after 17 doses of r-HuEPO; it was thought that this event may have been related to therapy and the patient was withdrawn from the study. Three other withdrawals occurred after 11, 15 and 40 doses of r-HuEPO because of progressive anaemia, metoclopramide-induced skin rash and change of chemotherapy, respectively. In the 21 patients analysed to date, there was a notable reduction in blood transfusion requirements during the 6 months of chemotherapy and an improvement in mean serial haemoglobin concentrations in patients on r-HuEPO compared with the control group. In conclusion, r-HuEPO has the potential for reducing haematological toxicity in patients with ovarian carcinoma receiving platinum-based chemotherapy. Also, r-HuEPO may allow modest dosage increments in chemotherapy or the addition of abdominopelvic radiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Christie Hospital, Department of Oncology, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Belli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cowan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin