title: Effect of treatment with epoetin beta on short-term tumour progression and survival in anaemic patients with cancer: A meta-analysis.
abstract: To assess the early effect of epoetin beta on survival and tumour progression in anaemic patients with cancer, data were pooled from nine randomised clinical trials comparing epoetin beta with placebo or standard care. Studies were not primarily designed to assess these end points. Follow-up was for treatment duration plus 4 weeks following therapy completion. All adverse events (AEs) were retrospectively reviewed blinded, for progression. Thromboembolic events were also assessed. Data analysis involved standard statistical tests. Overall, 1413 patients were included (epoetin beta, n = 800; control, n = 613; 56% haematological, and 44% solid). Median initial epoetin beta dose was 30,000 IU/week. Overall survival during months 0-6 was similar with epoetin beta and control (0.31 vs 0.32 deaths/patient-year). No increased mortality risk was seen with epoetin beta (relative risk (RR) 0.97, 95% CI: 0.69, 1.36; P = 0.87). There was a significantly reduced risk of rapidly progressive disease for epoetin beta (RR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.99; P = 0.042). Epoetin beta was associated with a slightly higher frequency of thromboembolic events vs control (5.9% vs 4.2% of patients) but thromboembolic-related mortality was identical in both groups (1.1%). Epoetin beta provided a slight beneficial effect on tumour progression and did not impact on early survival or thromboembolic-related mortality.
authors.affiliation: Institut Multidisciplinaire d'Oncologie, Clinique de Genolier, 1, route du Muids, CH-1272 Genolier, Switzerland. maapro@genolier.net
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aapro
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coiffier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dunst
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osterborg
authors.forename: H U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Burger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C103998:epoetin beta; D004921:Erythropoietin