The impact of the haemoglobin level on the response to radiotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To define the impact of preradiotherapy haemoglobin (Hb) levels on the response rate of radiotherapy in patients with head and neck, uterine cervix and lung cancer.


METHODS
One hundred thirteen patients- 38 with head and neck cancer, 43 with carcinona of the uterine cervix and 32 with lung cancer- were retrospectively evaluated to determine the correlation between tumor response and preradiotherapy Hb levels. Hb level of 11 g/dl was taken as cut-off value for anemia. Patients were divided in two groups according to their objective response to radiotherapy.


RESULTS
Histologically 30 of the head and neck cancers, 36 of the cervical cancers and 17 of the lung cancers were squamous-cell carcinomas. Tumor response of the epidermoid carcinomas were significantly correlated with preradiotherapy Hb levels (p < 0.001). Tumor response in patients with head and neck and cervical cancers was significantly correlated with pretreatment Hb levels while in patients with lung cancer this correlation did not reach statistical significance (p=0.059).


CONCLUSIONS
Preradiotherapy Hb level is an important factor in determining the efficacy of radiotherapy. Raising the Hb level before radiotherapy may have a beneficial impact on the response to radiotherapy.
Haydaroğlu
A
A
Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, Izmir, Turkey.
Yürüt
V
V
Arican
A
A
Yalman
D
D
Bülent Aras
A
A
Esassolak
M
M
Ozkök
S
S