Anaemia: a rare but neglected problem among Finnish patients receiving chemotherapy for solid tumours.
OBJECTIVE
Anaemia is very frequently diagnosed among cancer patients. Use of erythropoietins has proved to be effective in reducing the need of transfusions and enhancing patients' quality of life, but may also have detrimental effects in treating nonanemic asymptomatic patients. We assessed the frequency of anaemia and the frequency with which it was diagnosed and treated in different types of solid tumours treated at outpatient chemotherapy policlinics.


METHODS
During the study period, altogether 733 consecutive subjects received chemotherapy at the five Finnish University Hospitals. Their data were collected. The physician who was responsible for the chemotherapy treatment was unaware of the survey. The response to anaemia (treated or not, the modality of treatment) were established from patients records; 69% were females, mean age was 61 years (range, 24-92).


RESULTS
The median haemoglobin level was 12.7 g/dL (range, 8.9-15.5 g/dL). About one third of the patients (200/733, 27%) had a value less than 12 g/dL. In only 15% of these cases was there any documentation of response or a possible treatment option for anaemia. On the other hand, only 12% of all patients (N=91) had a haemoglobin value less than 11 g/dL. However, in most of them anaemia had not been considered; in only 25% of cases was an active treatment option selected.


CONCLUSIONS
According to our survey, anaemia was less common in our patients than in the European Cancer Anaemia Survey. Only a minority of chemotherapy patients receiving their treatments as outpatients would need active treatment for their anaemia.
Kellokumpu-Lehtinen
Pirkko-Liisa
PL
Department of Oncology, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, B.O.X. 607, FIN 33101, Tampere, Finland. Pirkko-Liisa.Kellokumpu-Lehtinen@uta.fi
Puistola
Ulla
U
Paija
Outi
O
Taimela
Eeva
E
Hirvonen
Outi
O
Raassina
Sari
S
Riska
Henrik
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D011788:Quality of Life; D055815:Young Adult
D006454:Hemoglobins