title: Radiotherapy-associated anemia: the scope of the problem.
abstract: The impact of anemia on cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy is well established, but only recently has the prevalence of anemia in patients receiving radiotherapy received much attention. Many cancer patients present with anemia prior to radiotherapy, and even more experience anemia or a worsening of anemia at some point during treatment. However, the problem of anemia is often ignored because patients may experience only functional anemia, defined as a hemoglobin level less than 12 g/dl. Unless physiologic anemia (hemoglobin = 8 g/dl) is discovered, efforts to correct anemia are often not made. Because hemoglobin levels <12 g/dl seem to be associated with tumor hypoxia and poorer outcomes of radiotherapy in a number of patient populations, ignoring even modest anemia can result in decreased locoregional control, overall survival, and quality of life (QOL). Because increasing hemoglobin levels 1-2 g/dl is usually easily accomplished, there exists the potential for improving outcomes by paying greater attention to this problem. This article focuses on the prevalence of anemia, particularly functional anemia, and discusses the impact of anemia on locoregional control, overall survival, and QOL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Medical Center, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, New York 10003, USA. lharrison@bethisraelny.org
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shasha
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ramdeen
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins