A retrospective review of blood transfusions in cancer patients with anemia.
BACKGROUND
The factors contributing to blood transfusions in patients with anemia of chronic disease are not well documented in the literature. We analyzed all blood transfusion events within a single oncology practice to determine if certain chemotherapy drugs, cancer types, or other factors necessitated more frequent transfusions.


METHODS
Out of 331 patients receiving chemotherapy, 103 (31%) patients received a blood transfusion in 1995. Each of these charts was reviewed and sorted by diagnosis, treatment medications, and past transfusion and/or treatment history. Hemoglobin levels were obtained for each transfusion received in 1995.


RESULTS
The average hemoglobin at time of transfusion was 7.9 g/dl. Higher hemoglobin levels at transfusion were observed for patients over the age of 60 and patients who received prior chemotherapy. Lower hemoglobin levels at transfusion were observed for patients receiving Epoetin Alfa and sarcoma patients. The average number of red blood cell (RBC) units transfused in 1995 was 5.1 per patient. More units were given to patients receiving etoposide, while fewer units were given to those receiving ifosfamide. We created a transfusion severity index (TSI) to jointly measure these two variables.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study identify transfusion needs associated with certain groups of cancer patients and with certain types of chemotherapy drugs.
Estrin
J T
JT
MCP-Hahnemann University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA.
Schocket
L
L
Kregenow
R
R
Henry
D H
DH
D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D006454:Hemoglobins