Treatment of chemotherapy-induced anemia with recombinant human erythropoietin in cancer patients.
Thirty patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia were treated with recombinant human erythropoietin for 4 weeks. In this dose-escalation study, cohorts of five to eight patients were treated per dose level. The doses of erythropoietin were 25, 50, 100, 200, or 300 IU/kg/d given intravenously for 5 days each week. Of 30 patients, 15 (50%) had a greater than 10% increase of their hemoglobin (Hb) values and were considered responders. At the two highest dose levels, 11 of 13 patients (85%) responded. In the 15 responding patients, the mean Hb level increased by 1.7 g/dL from baseline compared with an average decrease of 1.5 g/dL in the previous cycles of chemotherapy without erythropoietin administration. Recombinant human erythropoietin is effective in ameliorating chemotherapy-induced anemia when administered in adequate doses.
Department of Medicine, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.
L C
LC
Platanias
C B
CB
Miller
R
R
Mick
R D
RD
Hart
H
H
Ozer
J M
JM
McEvilly
R J
RJ
Jones
M J
MJ
Ratain
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D006454:Hemoglobins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin